


Recovery

by Lucky_Cassandra



Series: Stories not Told [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Friendship/Love, Injury Recovery, Light Angst, Post-Canon, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-07-24 18:33:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 23,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16180799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucky_Cassandra/pseuds/Lucky_Cassandra
Summary: Defeating Ganon had not been completely free of consequences, but Link would recover. He just wished Zelda would recover quickly.Edited to correct some typos.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to hop on the post-calamity band-wagon. Here is my take. It seems I want them to suffer just a little more. I would apologise, but I can't imagine them walking away from such a battle unscathed.  
> And yeah, so I chose to ignore the scene where Link and Zelda walk away from the castle while the spirits of the King and the champions watch. So I'm not fully canon compliant. I'll live.

"May I ask, do you really remember me?"

Link's heart swelled in his chest as he finally, finally stood in front of his princess, Zelda, flesh and bone, dirty and tired and dishevelled but beautiful and smiling. He swallowed, opened his mouth to answer, but no words came. He couldn't speak, lost in those deep green eyes boring into his own.

Suddenly, Zelda seemed to pale and swayed slightly, her smile faltering while her eyes tightened with exhaustion. Link just had time to close the distance between them before she collapsed in his arms. 

His first reaction was panic. He sank to his knees in the grass holding the princess, checking her over for wounds. When he found nothing, he checked her breathing, even and regular, and her heartbeat, slow and steady. She looked pale, her skin pearly and white in the late afternoon sun, contrasting sharply with the dark circles around her eyes. Other than that, it appeared she was just deeply asleep. Panic flaring again, Link started to consider his options. She probably needed a healer, and the closest place for that was definitely Kakariko. However, he wasn't sure he could get her there safely, if he had to carry her unconscious. He had a horse, but he would have to hold her in his arms, and that would make it impossible to defend them in case of an attack. He could build a litter, but he couldn't think of how he could attach it to the horse without the ride being far too rough for her. He didn't have a coach, he had no way to get help or a message to the Sheikah  (no one would come this close to the castle for a while, not after years of malice and guardians). He had to conclude his best bet was to find shelter and care for her as best he could, hoping she would wake soon. 

Link considered what he remembered of the area, and decided the closest decent shelter had to be the ruins of Mabe village, so he gently adjusted the princess in his arms and began the short trek to the half-collapsed buildings. After selecting a reasonably sturdy-looking one which still had two walls and a bit of roof, he gently set the princess down, making a bed for her out of two threadbare blankets and the softest clothes he had in his pack. He checked her over again, and then started a small fire and sat down where he could be close to her but keep watch for anyone approaching, his sword and bow at the ready. He suddenly realised his horse had followed them, so he took saddle and bridle off of her, fed her a few apples and carrots and encouraged her to wander around Hyrule field. 

As he kept obsessively assessing the princess for any change, Link became aware of a steady drip of blood trailing along his arm, and a sharp throb in his left shoulder. Slowly, as his adrenalin ebbed away, he realised just how weak and drained he felt. Breathing was painful, especially if he tried more than shallow breaths. Possibly a cracked rib or two... He stripped off his tunic to find a deep gash on his left shoulder, as well as other cuts and bruises along his chest, abdomen and arms. Shiny burns stood out on his right thigh. He bandaged the worse of his wounds and had some food and a restorative elixir, careful to set aside more than enough of everything for the princess once she woke up. Once finished, he checked on the princess again, worried by the possibility that her condition would worsen.

Zelda still seemed to be sleeping soundly. Though still pale, some color was returning to her cheeks, her breathing remained deep and even, her pulse strong. Her hands were warm, the skin of her forehead soft and dry. Link fought to keep his anxiety under control and kept watch, continuing to assess their surroundings for possible threats. The sun had set, but the air was thankfully warm and balmy. Aware that he needed some form of rest before he, too, passed out from exhaustion, Link concentrated on the relaxation exercises he had learned from the Sheikah to be used when it was necessary to skip sleep. 

The night passed quietly, the sun came up to a cloudless sky and still Zelda slept on. Link's anxiety began to rise again, but he was relieved to find the princess seemed to be sleeping less deeply. Her hands would occasionally twitch, her features soften in a small smile, a gentle sigh would escape her lips. So still Link kept watch, weapons close at hand.

As Link kept watch over the princess, he realised just how familiar this felt. They had done this before. And he didn't mean the part about defeating Ganon together in another era, but camping in the wild together. Yes, he definitely remembered, and more than his odd vision-like memories. He remembered how Zelda liked to take the longer and slower road everywhere, enjoyed exploring, collecting plants and insects. She had never been bothered by camping in the wilderness, sleeping in caves, eating cold food when it was raining too hard for a cooking fire. He remembered her childish joy when they ran into a new shrine, at least before the disappointment of it being dormant like the others set in. He remembered her, he realised, his sworn duty to protect her with his life. But he also remembered them, princess and hero, soldier and scholar, their travels together.

Zelda's brow suddenly furrowed slightly, as in an unpleasant dream, and she began twitching restlessly. Just as Link was almost panicking again, wondering if he could do something to help her, she relaxed again and a small smile lightened her features. "Link..." She softly whispered, before sighing and sinking into restful sleep again.

Link felt rooted to the spot, paralysed by the sound of her voice whispering his name. His heart started pounding painfully in his chest, and suddenly he realised something he had known since the moment he woke up in the shrine of resurrection without his memories.

He loved her. _He loved her._ Even when he didn't remember her, still he loved her. 

She was never just his charge. He would have protected her with his life out of duty, certainly, but he did it out of love. That was what had given him strength, endurance, resolve. More than honour, more than duty, more than courage, more than the desire to free Hyrule or save it's people. 

Link fought back a wave of dizziness. He wasn't sure if it was due to exhaustion, blood loss, his memories, or a combination of all, but it made no difference. Still he kept watch, and still Zelda slept. The day faded to night again, and Link could tell she had improved some more. The circles around her eyes were not as dark, her body more relaxed in sleep. Hyrule field remained quiet and empty, their small fire hidden in Mabe ruins the only light for miles. 

Finally, as the sun rose once again, Zelda stirred. Her eyes opened slowly, then she rolled over, and their eyes met. The relief that washed through him was so intense that for a second he couldn't breathe, let alone move. Realisation bloomed on Zelda's face, and she struggled to sit up. Link was on his knees beside her before she could open her mouth.

"Slowly, princess, do not try to move so quickly." He gently took her arm with one hand and used the other to support her shoulders as he helped her to sit up.

"Link." Her voice trembled as her eyes filled with tears. "I thought it was a dream. I thought I had finally fallen to Ganon, after decades of fighting him..." 

"You didn't. You made it, you sealed him away, it's over," Link explained softly. "You collapsed shortly after banishing him, you have been sleeping for a while, you are still weak. When you are recovered enough, I have food and water and elixirs ready for you."

Zelda's hands slowly lifted to grasp Link's arms. 

"Link," she breathed, "you are here..." Tears started falling down her face. She then threw her arms around his neck and stared crying in earnest. Link could only hold her, and fight back the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes as well.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda awakens, and sees a very different Hyrule from the one she last walked in. The change is overwhelming.

Zelda couldn't believe what she was seeing, and feeling, and hearing. She felt dizzy and dazed, as Link, her Link, her appointed knight whom she had held as he bled out on the Ash swamp after having fought to the last to protect her, helped her to food and drink. She looked around, seeing the castle in the distance standing silent and peaceful, no malice in the air. Guardian carcasses could be seen dotting Hyrule field, none of them moving. The ruins she was sitting in were all that was left of a village she well remembered. It was so much to take in, so many reasons to rejoice, so many reasons to grieve, all at once.

Confusion was her primary emotion, exhaustion the primary physical feeling. But there was so much, so much feeling, she felt like she would burst from it all.  

Finally, she focused all her attention on Link.

She gasped. He was pale, with dark circles under his bloodshot eyes. Bloody bandages peaked from beneath his tunic at his collar. His hair was dishevelled, his breathing quick and shallow as if painful, his shoulders set in a tense posture which spoke of pain and exhaustion. Still his eyes carried nothing but concern for her. He had never been so handsome.

"How... are you all right?" she asked. "Have you rested? Can I..." Zelda fell silent. She suddenly understood what must have happened, how her once appointed knight must have kept watch while she slept, without a thought for his own wellbeing. "How long was I asleep for?" she asked.

"Two nights and the day in between, princess. You needed it, and you probably need more..." 

"Oh for the goddess, Link, you have been awake two full days after battling Ganon?" Tears threatened to fall again from her eyes. It seemed one hundred years battling an incorporeal battle had left Zelda defenceless when it came to battling her own physical reactions. "You must rest, and let me look at your wounds..."

His reply was immediate. "There is no need, princess. I am in no immediate danger. My main concern is to get you to safety and to the care you need. If you think you are strong enough to travel, we should make our way to Kakariko as soon as possible."

Zelda gaped speechlessly at Link. She didn't know how to answer, couldn't think of a way to convince him that his needs were as urgent and as important as hers. His selflessness, his concern for her wellbeing, were... She couldn't even think about how it made her feel. All she could do was agree to travel as fast as possible to Kakariko, so that he could get the care he obviously so desperately needed.

Link quickly packed their things away and gave a shrill whistle. After a few minutes, a white and brown horse trotted into view. Link took a couple of apples from his pack and gave them to the horse, as he patted her neck gently. Zelda heard him speak softly to the horse. "Good girl, thanks for not wandering too far. Feel up for a ride? You've rested, have you not? Sorry all I did after all your work was remove your saddle, you deserved better..." 

As he was speaking, Link took a saddle and bridle out of his pack (how was that even possible? Zelda just couldn't understand how Link could fit all that stuff in such a small pack) and started fitting up the horse. Once finished, he helped Zelda on the saddle. He then took the reins and started walking the horse to the southeast. 

"Link? You're not going to walk to Kakariko, are you? Don't you think your friend here can take both of us?" Zelda asked. As she spoke, she stroked the horse's neck. "What's her name, by the way?"

Link gave a small smile. "Leah. Yeah, she could take us, but she's done so much already..." He gave a small shrug.

Mpfh. So he was going to give _everyone but himself_ a break. Zelda changed her tactic. "Well, wouldn't it be faster if you rode with me? I'm sure we could be in Kakariko a lot sooner."

That seemed to work. Link paused, considered her words for a few seconds, then climbed on the horse behind her. He reached around her to take the reins, and Zelda _revelled_ in the feeling of his arms brushing her sides. She felt her eyes briefly close as she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She fought the impulse to lean back against him, but the goddess knew he didn't need her added weight to hold up. 

As Link spurred the horse into a gentle trot, Zelda wondered at her own thoughts. Since when did she crave this physical contact with Link? Like when she had hugged him after waking up. That had felt like a physical need, the feeling of his arms as he held her almost painful in its intensity. In the past, there had never been much unneeded physical contact between them, and never inside the walls of the castle. When they were alone in the wild they didn't always keep to formal etiquette, but neither did they make casual contact a habit...

Unbidden, a memory came to her, clear, painful, sharp. The only other time she had held him in her arms, as he was dying on the Ash swamp, right after her power had been awakened by her need to save Link. Too little, too late. She shuddered. 

"Princess? Are you all right?" Link asked, ever aware of her every discomfort, it seemed. She put her hands on his where they held the reins.

"I am still putting things together. I was remembering... before." Her voice tightened on the last word. "I still can't believe you are here, alive, and you saved me."

Link was silent for a few seconds. He then took both reins in one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist. Again, Zelda felt her eyes close at the contact, and put her arm above his to keep it there.

"I can't believe you are here with me, safe and sound." His voice was barely more than a whisper. 

Neither of them moved or spoke for a long time after that. They took a short break for lunch at the bottom of the Sahasra slope, more to give Leah a rest than anything else, then mounted once more and soon were on the outskirts of Kakariko. Zelda could see that little had changed here, even though everything was completely different, but exhaustion was starting to catch up with her again and she was having trouble even sitting upright in the saddle. Link had noticed,  of course, and after giving her some more restorative elixir, was taking more and more of her weight as he spurred the horse a bit faster. 

Even with all of Link's care, the arrival in Kakariko was a blur for Zelda. By that point she could make little sense of what she saw, and only made out the eyes of Impa. Goddess, it was Impa! It was her! Zelda was dimly aware somebody was helping her into a building, then everything went dark again.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They finally get to Kakariko, not a moment too soon. Link cannot hold on much longer.

As they rode up the Sahasra slope towards Kakariko, Link became aware that Zelda was tiring quickly. He didn't want to keep her another night in the wild, not when they were so close to proper care, so he tried to support her weight as much as he could and made her drink more elixir to keep her going just a couple more hours. She seemed to be slipping in and out of consciousness, and Link hoped it was only exhaustion. If it was, it would have been better to stop, but if it wasn't, if there was another cause he didn't know.... He had already kept her in the wild away from proper care too long. The princess needed bed rest, a healer, more appropriate elixirs than the ones he could brew out here. He decided to press on.

By the time they were in Kakariko, Zelda appeared to be only dimly aware of her surroundings. Cado and Dorian were thankfully at their post outside Impa's house and ran up to help . Their urgent voices brought Paya out quickly, who in turn called out to Impa, who came out herself immediately, understanding what was going on. Link could see unshed tears in the old Sheikah leader's eyes as she held on to Zelda's arm, while Paya and Cado almost carried her inside.

Once Zelda was safely inside, Link turned to find Dorian still next to him, looking at him with concern.

"Master Link, are you all right? Can I help you inside? You don't look very well."

Link tried to smile. He suddenly realised breathing was awfully painful. "I am fine, thanks, I just need to tend to my horse for a second, before I..." 

He turned back to his horse, but stumbled. Dorian put a hand out to steady him. Link's vision started to go black around he edges. "I... think I need..." he began. Then all went dark.

***

It was like trying to swim in mud. Link's limbs felt heavy, he couldn't open his eyes. Why was moving so difficult? It was almost as if he was submerged in liquid. A thought came to him, sharp and painful. Not the shrine of resurrection? That was a long time ago, wasn't it? He had done so much since... The fighting, the travelling, the divine beasts.... The Calamity! Zelda! Oh goddess, please let it not have been a dream...

It all came back to him, as his eyes snapped open and he sat upright, gasping. He immediately became aware of being in a soft bed, wearing only his undershorts, his left shoulder and arm tightly bandaged as well as his ribs. The other smaller wounds had been tended to, as well. He looked around to find...

Zelda.

She was sitting in an armchair, curled like a cat and propped up with several cushions, and seemed to be asleep. She had obviously bathed and changed, wearing a belted robe and with her golden hair pulled up Sheikah-style. She was still paler than Link remembered, but looked a lot better than she had... the day before? How much time had he been asleep?  

Link's heartbeat was so loud in his chest, that when Zelda stirred he thought it was his heart pounding which had woken her. Her sea-green eyes opened, then widened when they focused on him. She sat quickly upright.

"Link! Thank the goddess, I was starting to worry! They told me you just needed to rest, but you weren't waking up and I thought..." she took a deep breath, visibly restraining herself. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Link's throat felt very dry, so when he tried speaking it was barely more than a croak. "How long was I asleep for?" he asked.

Zelda looked around, confused. "I'm not actually sure... I woke in the morning, having slept all night after we got here. Impa told me you had collapsed shortly after arriving, but she wouldn't let me come straight to you. She made me wash and change and eat, then I came here to wait for you to wake up, but I must have fallen asleep myself..."

She was interrupted by a bright voice. "So our hero awakens! Thanks for joining us! The princess has been waiting for you for most of the day. Not nice, to make her worry like that when you were only sleeping in." Impa stood in the doorway, smiling widely, Paya just a step or two behind, blushing scarlet.

Link clenched a fist in his lap and looked down. "Forgive me, princess, I..." But he didn't know how to continue. He was, for the first time in his life, completely at a loss for what to do. He had completed his tasks, fulfilled his duty. He turned his head and saw the Sword that seals the darkness leaning against the wall. Now all he had to do, he realised, was to put it back.

A soft hand rested on his arm. He looked up to find Zelda's kind eyes just inches from his.

"Rest now, eat and then sleep some more. We'll talk later," she said softly. "I actually think I'll go back to sleep myself," she added with a chuckle. She began straightening up, then seemed to pause for a second. She then leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Link's cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, before turning and leaving the room.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link remembers he is supposed to be her knight. But if he no longer is, where does that leave him?

Link winced slightly at the stab of pain in his shoulder, rolled it slowly and then lifted his sword again, resetting his stance. He could feel the pull of the bandages beneath his tunic as he worked through his training exercises, but he was well bound and had the freedom of movement he needed. Even breathing was no longer painful.

He hadn't been able to sit still for very long. After a light meal he had gotten up, washed and found his pack, getting dressed in his Hylian tunic. His Champion's tunic was filthy, but after washing it carefully he had realised it was also torn and scorched in more than one place. Link hoped the Fairies could do something about it, but for now there was little he could do.

Not that Link would need his Champion's tunic anymore. The Champions no longer existed, the duty they were born for fullfilled. So he formally wasn't a Champion anymore, even though it had been a crucial part of the identity he had fought to piece back together. The thought pained him more than he was willing to consider.

He concentrated on his training, physical exertion helping him clear his mind, as always. He had walked up to the shrine above the village in the middle of the night, needing to work out some of the stiffness in his limbs leftover from the fight with Ganon and the subsequent injuries. He was restless and uneasy and couldn't sleep anyway. He had slept enough, as Impa had jokingly pointed out. Lunge, parry, swipe up, backflip, swipe down. Start over. It was relaxing, in its own way. The sun was just beginning to light up the sky along the eastern horizon, dawn was still maybe an hour away. He still had some time, before...

"Link! What in Hylia's name do you think you're doing?" Zelda's voice suddenly filled the still pre-dawn air. "Cado told me he saw you walk this way with your sword, but I honestly could not believe... You are _injured_ , you should be resting, not... not..." she faded into silence, muttering darkly.

"I feel fine, Princess, my injuries were not extensive. I was just tired, but that was taken care of. I am surprised to see you up already, you still look pale," Link answered, his voice soft and gentle. She did still look tired, though she looked better everytime he saw her. Link hoped a couple more days would see her fully recovered, physically at least. His insides turned to ice when he thought about the hardships she had faced in the last century, but now was not the time to bring it up. And probably not his place to do so anyway, he knew, but he didn't think he could help the urge he felt to help her, to protect her, to stay close to her. Just like now, just like during the ride here. He had put his arm around her waist, for the goddesses. And he wasn't sorry. Also, he didn't risk a court martial for it now, like he would have a century ago. Not that that would have stopped him.

Zelda seemed to deflate a little at his words. "I feel a lot better, I have been sleeping so much over the past few days that I just couldn't stay in bed any longer," she said softly. "And I wanted to see you again, see how you were doing... When Impa told me you had collapsed... I knew you were injured and not taking care of yourself and..." she blushed slightly, cleared her throat and turned away. She began again a moment later, her voice steadier. "I think Impa would like to talk to us sometime today, she hinted as much when I walked out." Zelda smiled absently. "She was already awake. She said she doesn't sleep much at all, now." Her face darkened as she looked down. "I have the feeling she was actually trying to pin me down yesterday to talk, and I know we need to get to work for Hyrule, but..." She looked up at him. "My priority was first to make sure you were fine. Link, I owe you so much... My life, to start. I wouldn't have taken much more of the deadlock with Ganon. And peace for my people, good relations with the other races..."

"Princess." Link interrupted softly. "There is no need for that. I have done what I had to, and I would do it all again right now, if you needed me to. My life is yours to command."

Zelda seemed to start at that, and Link wondered if he had overstepped. In all honesty, he technically was still her appointed knight, since it was service for life unless released... if you didn't count the fact that he had basically died and that the crown he had sworn to no longer existed... When had he begun to overanalyse things like this? Zelda must be rubbing off on him. Ultimately, what really mattered was what the princess wanted. Would she want him in her service again? 

"If you still want me in your service. I would be honoured to keep protecting you with my life," he added softly.

Zelda hesitated, then, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly as if she didn't know what to say. Link thought that was also an answer. It was harder than it should have been to keep his face neutral and his shoulders from sagging with the disappointment of the princess not wanting him with her any more. 

"My apologies, princess." Link gave a short bow. "Of course it is entirely your decision now to appoint your personal guard. I will be less forward in the future."

"No!" Zelda almost yelled. "No," she repeated more calmly. "I want you to be forward with me, if you want to call it that. I want you to talk to me, I want you to volunteer your opinion on anything, I want to know what you want and think. But more than anything else, I want you to make your decisions freely. I want it to be clear that you are under no obligation towards me, Hyrule, or the crown, but I would appreciate and value your friendship, your help, your company... anything that you want to give freely. I would never want you to feel... like you have not given enough yet. You have already given _everything_ , and I really don't want..."

Link sank down to one knee. "I want nothing more than to keep serving you, protecting you, helping you in any way I can," he said earnestly. He tried to keep his heart out of his throat, but wasn't sure he managed.

He felt two soft hands on his shoulders, and he looked up to find Zelda kneeling in the grass before him. "Most of all, I want you to be my friend, Link," she whispered. "I want you beside me, not behind me. I need you beside me. Rise, please." 

Link put his hands gently on Zelda's elbows and stood, taking her with him. He opened his mouth to answer, but found he couldn't speak. Very slowly, he moved his hands up her arms to her shoulders. Equally slowly, he pulled her to his chest, trying to put in the gesture all that he couldn't possibly say with words. Zelda's hands moved to his back, and she melted in the embrace, holding on to him. They didn't move for a long time. Finally, as the sun came up over the mountains, they broke apart and started walking down the hill to the village in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am being purposefully vague about the relative height of Link and Zelda. In my imagination he is taller than her, but not so in the game. I have read some truly brilliant explanations of why he would be taller than her NOW, my favourite being that Hylian men keep growing until their early twenties, but I decided to just keep it vague. Everyone can imagine it however they want.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had many doubts about this chapter and changed it around a lot, but I am not entirely unhappy with how it turned out...

Link and Zelda were sitting in the main room in Impa's house sipping tea. It seemed to Zelda the Sheikah were trying to fatten her up, considering everyone kept offering her food and drink at all times, right after telling her to sit and rest. But she appreciated the concern, especially for Link's sake. He needed someone to look after him, since he refused to do it himself.

As she watched Link stare into his cup in silence, apparently lost in thought, Zelda felt her throat constrict remembering how Impa had told her Link had collapsed after seeing her to safety and care, then forbidden her from seeing him before she had rested and eaten some more. It was proof of how weak she still was that she hadn't put up more of a fight, but Impa had assured Zelda that Link was sleeping, his wounds having been cared for, and there was really nothing the princess could do until he woke up. She still had needed to see him as soon as Impa would let her, even though seeing him unconscious, pale and injured had pulled at her heart in an unprecedented way. And he did not sleep peacefully. His brow often furrowed, his breathing turned shallow, his limbs twitched. She had to fight the urge to climb into the bed with him and hold him.

_What was this urge to touch him?_

Their relationship had not always been exactly princess and appointed knight, they had eventually dropped layers of formality when they were alone, but still... She realised now she saw him with entirely new eyes. Maybe it was the fact he had saved her like in a fairytale, but she really didn't see herself as the swooning damsel...

Zelda's train of thought was abruptly interrupted by Impa coming down the stairs. Zelda was not sorry about having that thought interrupted, at all. 

"Our heroes! You both look a lot better." Impa said, as she sat down with them. "I think it's time for a little talk." Impa turned to Link. "I think it's better if me and Zelda have a private chat. I am sure you are too sensible to take offence."

Link rose immediately. "Of course." He turned to Zelda. "Princess, I will not be far if you need me." He turned to leave.

"No, Link, you don't need to leave," Zelda said, reaching out to put a hand on his arm. 

"Princess, I agree with Impa. You need to talk. I will be outside." He gave a small bow and walked out the door.

Zelda stared at the door as it closed, then turned back to Impa. The old Sheikah leader was looking at her with understanding in her eyes. 

"Zelda," Impa began softly, "I am worried about you. We need to make sure we take care of you before we move on. Link knows and understands this."

"Knows what?" Zelda asked, confused. "Have the two of you talked already?"

"No, we haven't, but it is very clear to me that he is also worried about you. He remembers how difficult it was for him, waking after one hundred years to a different world. And he had to deal with memory loss, not a century long battle."

"He _told_ you all that?" Zelda asked. 

"He didn't have to," Impa answered. "You will find he is not as... difficult to read as he was before. At first he didn't remember _himself_ well enough to know he had reason to hide his emotions from the world. He started closing off a bit as he started remembering more of his past, but never like before."

Zelda was aghast. She had never considered how the loss of memory would have affected Link's sense of identity. Of course she had given him and his struggles all the attention she could spare from the fight with Ganon, but she had only managed to follow his _physical_ hardships, she hadn't seen anything of his _emotional_ struggles. Impa seemed to read some of this in her eyes.

"Link has had time to come to terms with a lot of what I am telling you. Don't forget, he was out in the wild for almost two years getting ready to fight the Calamity, remembering himself slowly," Impa added. "So now he knows better than almost anyone that your recovery must not be purely physical."

Impa leaned forward and covered Zelda's hand with her own. "Are you ready to talk about it?" she asked.

***

The talk with Impa lasted over two hours, and was very difficult for Zelda. Impa kept wanting to come back to the century-long deadlock with Ganon, but that was not the painful part for Zelda. She did her best to explain to Impa how she already had time to come to terms with _that_ , having been conscious and aware, even though with a unique kind of consciousness and awareness, through it all. Zelda had been relatively aware of time passing, and had even been aware of what went on outside of the castle, to a point, which is how she knew Link was coming. She really couldn't describe her power or her awareness of Ganon's attacks on it with words, but after some time Impa seemed satisfied and moved on.

Much more painful to Zelda were the things Impa told her, descriptions of the towns destroyed, the population decimated, the bridges collapsed, the fear her people lived in. A great shadow of fear had already been lifted, Impa assured her, as people were becoming aware the calamity was gone from the castle, and the Sheikah were eager to help with the rebuilding process, but Zelda was all too aware of the lost lives that could never be replaced.

Zelda emerged from Impa's house with a full heart and swollen eyes. She walked down the steps to find Link sparring with Dorian, because _of course he was_ , but he lowered his weapon as soon as he saw her and was at the bottom of the steps when she got there. His face was a mask of worry.

"Princess, I..." He looked at her earnestly and reached out to touch her arm. 

Zelda's throat constricted again at the touch, remembering what Impa had told her about Link's plight. It was true, she noted through the tears that started falling again, he did show emotion on his face so much more that before. Her heart swelled in her chest and she had to once again fight the urge to hug him.

"Link, I... I am really sorry for what you had to go through. I had never stopped to consider how difficult waking up with no memories must have been," she said. Link looked susprised for just a second.

"Princess, please, do not waste a moment of worry for that, it's in the past," he said with a small wave of a hand. "You look distraught. Is there anything I can do? How can I help you?"

 _Hold me_ , Zelda thought. But she couldn't say it. 

"Impa and I spent quite some time discussing the past grievances and the present state of Hyrule, and even though she really didn't tell me anything I truly wasn't aware of, it was still..." her voice, weak to begin with, cracked at the end and faded into silence. 

"Oh, Zelda.." Link said softly, and his hand tightened on her arm.

The sound of his voice almost whispering her name, the touch of his hand, the _look_ in his clear blue eyes was just too much for Zelda. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tight, trying to use the feel of him in her arms to ground herself through the pain.

Link appeared to be startled for an instant, but very soon put his arms around her and held her in silence. Zelda wasn't sure how long they stood there, but she eventually realised they were in the middle of Kakariko in a... potentially akward position. She gently disentangled herself from the embrace ( _two times only this morning_ , her mind unhelpfully suggested) and tried to square her shoulders. 

"Sir knight," she said, trying to sound formal and casual at the same time. "don't you think it's time for some lunch? Could you accompany me, please?" and she placed her hand on his arm in a perfectly proper and courtly gesture, letting him lead her away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The work to rebuild Hyrule begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got this chapter out of the way. It had to be done, I hope it's not too boring. From the next one it will be Link and Zelda in the wild again, or planning to go, anyway.

Link couldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours. He didn't know if it was because of the too soft bed, the fact that he had spent months sleeping once every two or three days at most, or the memories that kept surfacing of Zelda, eyes red and swollen, walking down the steps to Impa's house with hunched shoulders. There had been so much pain in her eyes. And even then, her thoughts and her grief had been for _everyone else_ , not for the torture she had endured for a century. She had mentioned being distraught over _his memory loss_ , and then wept over the fate of her beloved people and land. Link just wished he could take her pain away.

So now his way forward was clear. He had to do everything he possibly could to help her with the reconstruction, physical and emotional, of the land of Hyrule and her people. What needed rebuilding was not only roads, bridges and buildings, but also the people's sense of security, their national identity, their serenity. He knew all too well how hylians were scattered, uneasy, _scared_ , as Link had spent months trying to help whoever he could and protecting the few travellers he ran into from monster attacks. Most people were scared to even leave their villages. Addressing this issue was obviously a priority for Zelda, and Link was more than happy to be able to help.

The work was going to begin the following morning,  when Impa had called a meeting with a selected group of Sheikah she had called "the council", who were willing to help in the reconstruction effort. Link didn't think a proper council of the Sheikah had existed for decades, let alone a council of advisors to the crown, but Zelda seemed to find this arrangement ideal, as she trusted Impa and her people completely. She had then turned to Link and said "Would you please join the meeting? Your knowledge of the state of the land, roads, bridges as well as of the hylian settlements and of the other races would be of course invaluable, but I don't want to force you into more obligations for Hyrule. Please feel free to come or not, as you wish." 

He could think of many things he wanted to tell her, then, but he had just nodded and bowed. Zelda had beamed at him, so his answer must have been enough for her, as hers for him.

He eventually rose, washed and dressed and made his way outside. After helping Koko with breakfast, he helped a flustered Paya care for the town votive statues, as the council members started filing into Impa's house. Zelda finally appeared, looking nervous and clutching a thick bound tome, a quill and an ink well.

"Good morning," Link said as she approached. "Have you had breakfast?"

Zelda grimaced. "I don't really think I could eat anything now. My stomach feels like a rock," she said.

As she spoke, Link led her to a table on the porch used for meals and cooking, helped her to a bench and placed a small loaf of fruitcake in front of her. Zelda's eyes widened.

"This looks awfully familiar. Is it what I think it is?" she asked Link. 

Link smiled. "Koko is always looking for new ideas to try in the kitchen. I offered some help and suggestions this morning, it should be the exact recipe that was used in the castle..." his smile faded as Zelda's eyes seemed to fill with tears. "Princess?"

Her smile was like the sun peeking behind a rain cloud. "I don't know how you managed, but thank you. Not only was this my favourite, but the only thing to lift my mood on bad days." She took a bite. "And I believe the only thing I could have managed to swallow this morning," she added in between bites. 

After she had eaten, Zelda quickly started looking pale and nervous again as she picked up her things and made her way to Impa's house. Link took the thick tome from her and offered her his arm, escorting her. At the bottom of the stairs he turned to her.

"Ready?" he asked. 

"No," was her immediate answer, "but let's go anyway."

"You have no reason to be nervous," Link said gently. "Not only are you their beloved princess and there is nothing they wouldn't do for you, but you are the very best person to be their princess because you care more than anyone else in the world. And it shows. Just be yourself and you can't do wrong."

Zelda smiled gratefully at him. Then she squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, smoothed her features and began walking up the stairs as graceful and regal as Link had ever seen her.

***

Much was accomplished during the meeting. Link was amazed at the smooth transition Zelda had made from nervous teenager to royal princess. She talked convincingly of giving the people of Hyrule back their land and their sense of belonging, of the steps that must be taken to make everyone feel safe in their homes but also on the roads. Restoring some kind of army to protect the travellers and clear the roads of monsters was a priority, she said, but to do that the castle was to be secured and it's contents inventoried, especially the treasury. Impa spoke up then.

"Now that the Calamity is gone from the castle, we must make sure no pillaging takes place. The people have been without law and government for a long time, it wouldn't be surprising if someone now entered the castle looking for treasure." It was agreed that a team would have to travel immediately to the castle to scout and protect it. 

Link glanced at Zelda. She looked pale, and he guessed it was at the idea of having to enter the castle again so soon. 

"I think another priority is to reach out to the other races, to let them know the Calamity has been banished and that the princess is back," Impa added. "Princess Zelda, when you are recovered I think you should make that your first task, going through as many hylian settlements as you can on the way."

"I agree," Zelda answered, "but I also believe I should assess the state of the Castle and Castle town first."

"Leave that to us," Dorian said. "There is so much to do, and your presence is more useful elsewhere. You will need an escort, of course."

"I will go with her," Link volunteered immediately.

"Of course," Impa said with a smile. "You know your way around and we are all more than convinced you can keep her safe, if that arrangement is agreeable to the princess. In addition to that, you are personally aquainted with the leaders of the Rito, the Goron and the Gerudo." She then turned to Zelda. "You of course know Dorephan. I think you will not find him much changed from when you last saw him."

The discussion continued, now addressing the state of repair of roads and bridges, communication, trade. It was agreed that, as urgent as this was, it was to be secondary to getting the treasure necessary to reinstate the army and to strengthening the alliances with the other races. After a quick summary of all that had been discussed and decided, the meeting was finally adjourned.

Everyone rose, and Zelda thanked all present one by one for their useful contributions. After everyone but Link, Zelda and Impa left, Zelda's shoulders slumped and she sat down heavily.

"That went well, I think," Impa said with a smile. "Princess, you truly are both your father's and your mother's daughter. You will make a good queen."

Zelda seemed to blush at the praise, but said nothing. Impa continued. "I will now leave you to rest,  and to plan the journey ahead of you. Leave the rest to us, for now." With that Impa, too, left the room.

Zelda had put her head down on her arms. Link reached out and put his hand on her arm. "Princess, that was... Zelda, you were amazing," he said earnestly. He was truly amazed at the grace and wisdom with which the princess had led the meeting.

Zelda looked up, surprised. Her features softened in a weak smile. "Thank you, but I don't think I deserve much praise. This council was... I don't even have the words to express my appreciation. It feels like I did nothing, and am going to do nothing. I... feel like a coward for not going back to the castle myself."

Link was silent for a long moment. "I don't think you are being a coward, the council decided this was the most logical use of the resources we have," he said slowly. "If you feel you should see the castle again before we set off, if you feel it would help you with the closure you need, then we should go, no matter what the council says. But if you are not ready, that is not cowardly. Give yourself time, Zelda, you have been through a terrible ordeal. We will go back when you are ready."

Zelda's eyes were unreadable as she looked into Link's in silence. After a few minutes, she sighed and looked away. "You are too kind. I don't know what I want and need, I am just confused. I think I will put my notes from the meeting in order, now. I'll see you at lunch? "

It wasn't really a question, and Link recognised his dismissal. He stood, bowed to the princess and left her to her work.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Politics out of the way, back to more fun to write. Have some jealous Zelda. You're welcome.

Zelda spent a long time pondering over her notes from the meeting, making more for herself and agonizing over the issues that had not been addressed yet, like what to offer the Gorons in exchange for their help with the stonework necessary for the bridges, or how to ask the Rito to take up the postal service again. She then looked over the map of Hyrule she had tucked away in her notes and wondered about the best itinerary for her trip. She also thought long and hard about her feelings about Hyrule castle. Finally, her stomach reminded her that she had missed lunch. With a sigh, she put away her notes.

When she walked outside, she realised that lunch was indeed over and that almost everybody had gone back to work. Only two people were left sitting at the tables, tucked away in a corner...

Her stomach did a little flip and forgot all about food when she realised it was Link and Paya. Paya was talking earnestly to Link, her whole body turned towards him and a blush spread across her features. Link was obviously listening attentively, but he was not looking at her, his gaze directed down to his empty plate while he toyed idly with his spoon. His body language was... relaxed. There really was no other word for it. He was relaxed with Paya, more so than Zeld had ever seen him. Was he ever that relaxed with her, Zelda wondered? She suddenly felt a pang of irritation that she couldn't quite identify.

Her attention moved back to Paya. Zelda knew she was Impa's grandaughter and successor as leader of the Sheikah, but Zelda had never really stopped to think about her, or even properly _look_ at her. She was a pretty young woman, with large, intelligent eyes, soft features and the shiny white hair so common among the Sheikah. She did have a tendency to blush and get flustered a lot, come to think of it, especially when Link was around. Zelda remembered her intelligent if quiet and stuttering contributions at the meeting that morning. She was training to lead the Sheikah, after all, young as she was...

Young? Paya was probably several years older than her, she looked maybe 20 or 21. And it was odd, she and Link looked... kind of right together, but why was...

A wave of realisation hit her. Link _looked 20 or 21 as well._ But he had been just below two years her senior, so that made him not even 19 when the Calamity struck! How... oh. Of course. Impa had said Link had spent almost two years getting ready to fight Ganon, while she was fighting her incorporeal battle. So now their apparent age difference was a bit wider. She didn't know why that bothered her so much, after all they were both over a hundred.

While she stood there, mind racing but unable to move, Link looked up from his plate and saw her standing in the dirt road. He stood immediately, said something to Paya and walked out to Zelda.

"Princess, you missed lunch, but we didn't want to interrupt your work. Come and have your meal. Please sit down," he said with a smile. Zelda looked back at Paya, who was clearing the plates off the table, her face even redder than it had been before.

"I didn't want to interrupt your conversation, you seemed to be so... intent." Zelda's voice sounded oddly strained even to her own ears. 

She was not looking at him directly, but out of the corner of her eye she saw a look of confusion briefly cross his face. "Not at all, we were just talking about this morning's meeting. Paya is very excited to be part of the reconstruction effort, and she was telling me about how she is looking forward to her duties." He paused, smiling fondly. "She reminds me of you. Her dedication to her people and her sense of duty made me think of you before I could even remember why it would. When I had so little to go on with, I was grateful for anything that could spark a memory, however faint."

Zelda's breath caught in her throat. This was such a personal, _unguarded_ thing to say, and Link had said it with such open honesty in his voice... She couldn't picture the Link she remembered from one hundred years ago saying something like that. Her mind went blank, as she looked into his eyes. He put his hand at her elbow. 

"Let's get your lunch," Link said, gesturing towards the tables.

Zelda sat down, still feeling a bit dazed, and Paya set a plate of meat and mushrooms with rice in front of her. 

"My apologies princess, the fire had burned low so this is not very hot. Would you like me to warm it up? I can stir up the fire again," Paya stuttered.

Zelda mentally shook herself and looked up at Paya with a smile. "This is perfect, Paya, thank you. Will you sit with us?" She gestured to Link who had already taken a seat in front of Zelda.

"Oh, no, Princess, I better be off to attend to my duties. Please excuse me," and with a bow she disappeared down the road.

Zelda looked down at her meal, which truly looked delicious, but didn't move for a long moment. She became all too aware of Link's eyes on her. 

"Princess?" Link asked. "Are you all right?"

"My apologies, I was just surprised to find you and Paya... intimate," Zelda said slowly. "I have no right to be surprised, of course, I am actually glad you had friends through these trying times." 

Zelda thought he saw a flicker of understanding on Link's face, but it was gone so quickly she wasn't sure. 

"Intimate is a bit of a strong word, but we have become something like friends, with time," Link said. "In the beginning, when I came through Kakariko she hardly spoke two words to me."

"She seems to be... rather taken with you," Zelda said.

"She might have been, a little, in the beginning. I think she grew out of it," Link answered easily with a small shrug.

Zelda wanted desperately to say more, but she just couldn't construct a phrase in her head which wouldn't sound... odd. Or strained. Or inquisitory. Or worse, _interested_. She just turned her attention to her food and stated eating.

After a few minutes of silence, Link spoke again, his voice soft.

"Princess, forgive me if I haven't gotten around to doing this before, but this seems like the perfect occasion." He placed the Sheikah slate on the table still in its holster. 

"Thank you. Purah and Robbie both explained to me how you had to leave it with... me... at the Shrine of Resurrection to power it. I didn't remember at first, but when I realised how important it was to you, I was even more grateful for it. You will find it does more now than take pictures and carry the compendium. I will show you how to use the new features, if you wish." 

Zelda sat stunned for a moment before realising Link was giving the slate back to her. It was... oddly touching. It had belonged to her, surely, but she had seen him do some truly amazing things with it. It didn't feel hers anymore, somehow.

"Please, Link, I wish you to keep it, for now. It feels like a parting gift,  if you just give it back to me like this, so..." she quickly looked at him. "Unless you wish to leave, and this _is_ a parting gift of sorts..."

"No, not at all. Not only did I promise in front of the council to accompany you on your journey," Link said, "but I also... _want_ to come with you on this journey. I am actually really looking forward to it," he said with a small smile. 

Zelda decided to ignore the completely inappropriate comments she could make to Link's statement, and decided instead to keep to safe subjects.

"I wish I had words to express how grateful I am to have you with me for this trip. Speaking of which, I would like to discuss our itinerary with you, whenever you want," Zelda said carefully.

"No time like the present," Link said with a crooked smile, gesturing to Sheikah slate still on the table. "This thing now carries a superb map. Tell me which places are necessary stops, and which you would like to visit if possible."

"The first place I want to go to," Zelda enunciated carefully, testing her own resolve, "is Hyrule Castle."


	8. Chapter 8

Link was not surprised when Zelda told him she wanted to go to the castle before doing anything else. She was strong and stubborn and had always been hard on herself, so it was no surprise that she was not even going to give herself time to heal before forcing herself to confront her own fears. He wished she could see herself as he saw her, strong, brave, wise and beautiful. 

"After what you said about closure, about waiting to be ready, about not needing to go... I thought a lot about how I felt about entering the castle walls again," Zelda explained. "And I realised... The idea really makes me nervous and frightened. I truly believe there is no danger left that I couldn't face with you beside me, so I am left to conclude that my fear is leftover from... some kind of trauma I hadn't realised I suffered. Don't get me wrong," she said lifting her hand to stop him from interrupting as he drew breath, "I knew the century long fight was bound to leave a mark, but I struggled to convince myself it... hadn't. So before this fear is left to sediment and spirals out of control, I want to face it head on."

Link pondered her words for a long moment while looking into her eyes, mesmerised by the resolve and strength he found there.

"I understand, Princess. If you are sure, we will go. But let me say again that if you want to wait that would be understandable as well.."

"I know," she cut in. "But I feel this is something I want to do sooner rather than later."

Later that evening, after most of the town had retired, Link went to find Impa and explained Zelda's decision to stop by the castle before doing anything else. Impa was quiet for a long moment, her eyes closed as if in deep thought.

"I feared she was not being completely candid with me," she eventually said. She looked up at Link. "But I also think that if anyone can help her through this, it's you. I know you will do the best you can by her."

"With my life," was his only answer.

***

Next morning they were off. They had discussed their itinerary in some detail, but they decided there was not much point in making a detailed plan they would inevitably have to change along the way.

"There might still be lots of monsters about," Link had reminded Zelda, "and even though the Blood Moon will not be regenerating them any more, my priority is to keep you safe."

They had agreed to walk for the first part of their journey. It was slow going, as Zelda was still getting used to having a physical body back and tired quickly. They took frequent breaks, and anytime they stopped Zelda would just sit on a rock and close her eyes, turning her face into the sun with a soft smile. Every time she did that, Link felt a lump of guilt settle deeper in his stomach. 

It was his fault. She had suffered so much, she had faced Ganon alone, she had waited so long _because of him_. He hadn't been strong enough or fast enough, _he should have done more._ Maybe he wasn't he right person to keep her safe now, having failed her in the past already.

"Link, are you all right?" her soft voice broke through his reverie. "You look... upset."

Link turned to find Zelda looking at him with concern. Oh why had he lost the habit of hiding his emotions more? This stupid face of his just got him into trouble. He briefly considered telling her, then, but decided this was not the right time for a conversation that was probably going to upset them both.

"Not at all, Princess. I was just thinking about the road ahead," he answered.

Zelda huffed. "I wish you would use my name more often. You do call me Zelda, sometimes, why keep using my title at all?"

It was true. Link did use her name, occasionally, when it slipped. When his feelings ran ahead of his judgement. When his heart swelled in his chest and his throat moved of its own accord. But he couldn't say this to her, so he just kept silent.

They got about halfway to the castle before they decided to stop for the night, just past the Horwell bridge. Link scouted the land to the north of the road and then led Zelda towards the Bottomless Swamp to a sheltered little vale. He lit a small fire and set out their dinner as the stars began appearing in the sky.

"This feels like our trips to the springs, all those years ago," Zelda said with a smile. "I always enjoyed the journeys much, much more than the destination! There, or back again!"

Link had to smile. "Yes, well, I figured you liked being on the road much better than the alternative when you started suggesting 'alternative routes' which were basically three times longer..."

Zelda laughed. "It took you a while, though. In the beginning you were trying to actually reason with me, to persuade me your way was quicker. No kidding! That was my whole point!"

Link had to laugh too, then. Zelda suddenly fell silent and looked at him as if bemused.

"I... I had not heard you laugh in a long time. I hadn't realised how much I missed the sound," she said slowly. 

Link tried to answer but found, once again, he couldn't. How could he put into words how much he had missed her too, everything about her? How could he ever tell her how he felt about her, when she was his princess and soon queen? She had no idea what she did to him when she spoke to him like this, like they were friends, equals. Like the day before, when Zelda had found him and Paya talking together and had acted almost... jealous.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before he finally got up and started making a bed for her with the blankets he had stored in his pack.

"You should sleep, now. We better set off at first light, tomorrow," he said gently.

"Are you not going to sleep?" Zelda asked. 

"I'd rather not. I'm not sure how safe it is, out here, and I won't need to sleep for a couple of days, anyway," he answered. 

"I forget sometimes you sleep as little as the Sheikah, but eat as much as the Gorons," she said with a smile.

"Not the same stuff, though," Link said, wrinkling his nose. "I think trying their food once was enough for me. My jaw took a week to recover."

Zelda chuckled as she lay down on the blankets. "I still can't believe you even tried. They eat _rocks_ , for the goddess!"

"Well seasoned, though," Link answered with a crooked smile.

They fell silent again, and Zelda was asleep in a few minutes. Link then moved further from the fire, prepared his weapons and settled in to guard her sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took forever to come together. I wrote and dumped so much I have a file called "dump" as long as another whole chapter.   
> Funny story: when I wrote this chapter I had never been to the Bottomless swamp, I just chose the place because it made geographical sense. Then I went there, and OH BOY. I completed almost everything in the game, including all side quests, all shrines, all of the champions' ballad, but I couldn't even get inside the monster encampment in the Bottomless swamp. Probably not the best place to make camp, Link. Oops.


	9. Chapter 9

Zelda opened her eyes and took a moment to remember where she was. In the wild, safe, the Calamity banished. Link was sitting just a few paces away, his back to the fire which had burned low, cleaning his weapons.

"Good morning," he said, getting up and turning to her. "Did you sleep well?"

Zelda took a moment to marvel at the man standing before her. A gentle breeze was blowing through his hair, his eyes were as blue and clear as the sky along the eastern horizon behind him where the sun was just coming up. His posture was perfect, as always, the light at his back highlighting the shape of his body. On his face was a small smile, which would have been almost unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know him. He was breathtaking even just standing there.

"Yes," she finally replied a bit breathlessly, shaking herself mentally. "Did you find any trouble during the night?"

Link gave a small shrug and smirked. "I don't find trouble, trouble usually finds me. Just a couple of staboblins, nothing much." He moved to stir up the fire again. "Are you ready for breakfast or would you like to wash first? There is a little lake just behind those rocks over there. Not much more than a puddle, but the water is clean."

"I will go make use of it, then," Zelda said, standing up. She knew that if Link had told her about it, he had already made sure it was more than safe for her. 

It was not long before they had eaten and packed away their things. They began the trek north towards the castle. Zelda felt better today, more full of energy, as if being on the road was helping her recover. She told Link as much. He smiled. 

"You do look better. There is color in your cheeks that was not there a few days ago." He paused for a second. "Your eyes are sparkling," he added. 

Zelda missed a step and almost tripped, and tried to cover it by turning to look at the flowers in the fields. They walked a few hours without any rush but making much better time than the day before. Around mid morning they were almost as far as the Ranch ruins, when Link stopped abruptly and caught Zelda's arm to keep her still. Zelda had been around with Link enough to know she had to keep absolutely still and make no noise. Suddenly Link pulled her off the road to a cluster of trees, quickly checking the area before moving close to speak in her ear.

"I have no idea how, but there is a lynel just down the road," he hissed. "This is definitely _not_ lynel territory. _Don't move_." And in a heartbeat he was gone.

Zelda cautiously peeked between the trees, and saw it. A large, silver lynel just up the road. Link was charging at it, his bow already out and an arrow nocked. The fight began, and it was almost too fast for her to follow. Link had his bow and his sword out alternatively, switching so quickly Zelda couldn't make sense of it. 

A grunt close to her ear startled her and she spun around to find a moblin just a few paces away, mace out and ready to strike. She instinctively threw herself on the ground as the mace shattered the tree she had been hiding behind.

"Zelda!"

She looked up to find the moblin dead at her feet with three arrows stuck in its neck. She turned back towards Link to find him turned towards her, bow out, _back turned to the charging lynel_. The lynel drew closer, sword swinging. Time seemed to slow down, as Link leapt to the side but not fast enough to avoid the lynel's sword. Zelda saw a flash of red blooming from Link's side and her mind reeled, the world spinning around her.

She couldn't loose him. She couldn't imagine life without Link. _She could not loose Link._ In that moment, she suddenly understood the simple truth that had been staring her in the face for over a century. She loved Link, _she was in love with Link_ , and the sheer impossibility of loosing him was what had caused her power to awaken, all those years ago.

She forced herself to focus on the fight in front of her again to find Link had gotten up and was still fighting,  having climbed on the lynel's back and hacking at him with his sword. In a few more minutes it was all over, the lynel dead in the grass and Link back at her side. 

"Princess, are you all right? It was my mistake, I should have checked the area more thoroughly before leaving you," he said, voice tremulous.

He was deathly pale, hands shaking,  blood dripping down the side of his tunic.

"I am untouched, he only hit the tree. Link, you are bleeding, let me look at your wound," Zelda said. 

Link closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. When he opened them, his voice was steady again.

"I am fine, Princess. It's just a shallow cut. Are you sure you are unhurt? Did any debris from the tree fall on you?" he asked.

"Link. Please. Take your tunic off and let me look at your wound," Zelda said, her voice low. 

Instead of doing as she asked, Link sank to one knee. "I have no right to beg for forgiveness after a grave mistake that could have cost your life, but I hope you will let me accompany you back to Kakariko where you can select another escort." 

Zelda could not believe her ears, could not believe Link would think she would dismiss him for risking _his life, again,_ turning his back to a charging lynel to save her. She dropped to her knees before him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Link," she said, her voice shaking, "you just put your life before mine _again_. There is nothing I or anyone else must forgive. You checked the trees, I saw you do it. The moblin was not here. He must have moved up the river following the noise of the fight. The only thing I have to do is thank you for saving my life again."

Slowly, Link relaxed in her arms and brought his own arms up to wrap them around her. "I am sorry. I am not worthy of you," he whispered after a long moment as he tried to gently detangle from the embrace.

"What?" Zelda's voice was confused. She held his shoulders as he moved away. 

"I have failed you again and again. I am not worthy to be your personal guard," he said, his eyes downcast. 

"When have you ever failed me?" Zelda asked.

"First of all, at Fort Hateno, when I was not strong enough to keep you safe. Then it took me _nearly two years_ to rescue you from the castle, and now I nearly got you killed almost within sight of your castle." Link answered, voice hard. "I do not deserve to keep serving you."

Zelda was aghast. "Link, you can't be serious," she whispered. "I saw you fight to your death to save me. I saw you struggle alone through innumerable hardships to save me. I just saw you turn your back to a charging lynel to save me. There is _no one_ I would trust more than you with my life." She hugged him again, desperately tight. "There is no one I want more than you beside me." She wished she had the courage to tell him just how much this was true, just how much she now realised she loved him. "Now please, no more of this and let me look at your wound."

She eventually managed to overrule his protests and convinced him to strip off his tunic and undershirt. There was a jagged cut on his right side, just below his ribcage. Thankfully, it was rather shallow. His lighting-quick reflexes had saved his life. As she cleaned and bandaged his wound, he sat very still, his eyes closed. He still looked pale.

"Link, you don't look well. Is it too painful? Should we go back to Kakariko?" Zelda asked him.

"It doesn't hurt much at all, Princess," he answered, opening his eyes. "I am just not as ready to forgive myself as you are." He was silent for a moment. Then he gently took her hand in his. "I could have lost you, Zelda, because I wasn't careful or quick enough," he whispered, his voice almost pained.

Zelda felt all air leave her lungs. They were sitting face to face, so close, holding hands, his eyes clouded by guilt and pain when all she wanted was to see them full of joy. Her free hand rose to his face and cradled it. He closed his eyes and turned into her hand, and it was all Zelda could do not to lean forward and kiss him, then.

She was in _so much trouble_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I wrote at the end of chapter 8, this took a lot of rewriting as well. I hope it works.  
> Oh, also I played the game in Italian, so please let me know if I'm getting names of places and monsters wrong...


	10. Chapter 10

Link kicked out the remains of their fire. They had made it to the castle at dusk, and camped out in Castle Town for the night. He was still ill at ease, he hadn't forgiven himself for his mistake from the day before, but more than that he was... embarrassed by his reaction _afterwards_. He had been so upset he had become almost incoherent, hardly knowing what he was saying, even when he had struggled to appear outwardly calm. The idea that he could loose Zelda _now,_ when the worst was supposedly over, coupled with the guilt he already felt over what he considered his past failings, had been too much. Zelda must have thought he was rambling.

Zelda was quiet and pale, looking over the remains of Castle town towards the bridge and gates which led into the castle proper.

"Princess, are you sure you want to do this? It's not necessary, not today," Link said quietly.

"I must. All these lives cut short or ruined, all these buildings destroyed... this was a thriving town. It breaks my heart to see it like this, but I owe it to the people not to turn away," Zelda whispered.

They walked slowly to the castle gates, greeting the Sheikah guards which were already there. They were told the Sheikah were working to assess and inventory the docks today, so they shouldn't run into anyone in the upper levels.

As they walked across the gates, Link felt Zelda's hand grasp his own, clutching it almost painfully tight. Tears were steaming down her face.

"I knew all of this, the extent of the destruction, but it's so much worse seen through my own eyes," she whispered.

Zelda didn't let go of his hand as they walked around. They made straight for the main tower, picking their way carefully around broken stone and guardian debris. Link eyed warily every guardian shell which looked whole enough to power up, but none did. Finally, they made it to the main tower. The floor of the throne room was gone, obviously, and Zelda let go of his hand and walked slowly to the lip of the chasm. 

As Link looked at Zelda standing in the doorway of the throne room, he thought about the courage that it must have taken for her to walk to the castle, _to Ganon_ , alone, with no hope of winning but only of stalling. Of keeping the distruction from the land. Of giving _him_ time to heal. Even when Link had walked in, he had known he was not alone, she was here somewhere. And he had spent months and months preparing, to be sure to have a fighting chance. 

After a long moment, Zelda turned towards him. "I was wrong," she said. "I feel no fear in remembering that pig-shaped cloud of muck." If the situation had been different, Link would have smiled at the epiteth. "There is only pain and grief for all the death and destruction, and anger that it had to be like this. We will make sure next time will go differently. Let's go, now, I have nothing more to look for, here." 

Zelda took his hand again, but this time she was leading, pulling him back the way they came. Link looked carefully into her eyes, and saw the grief and pain she spoke of, but also... fire. A new determination that hadn't been there before. It was... hypnotic. He had to tear his eyes away from hers, to go back to checking their surroundings. 

"Have you been to my tower?" Zelda asked softly. 

"Yes, several times. Both your room and study are badly damaged, but there are sections almost untouched." He paused for a heartbeat. "Your diary is still sitting on your table."

Zelda's eyes widened as she turned to him. "My diary? Still there? Still... readable?" She asked.

Link tried not to smile, bit it was a near thing. "Yes. I left it there, though, it didn't feel right to pick it up. We can go get it now, if you like."

"Did you... never mind, I don't want to know," she said. "Why not, let's go, I don't think seeing my tower in pieces could make today any worse."

They looked around her rooms for a little while after salvaging her diary. Seeing her dressed in grubby Sheikah robes standing on the ruined walkway between her room and study was almost disorienting, like there was so much wrong with this whole scenario. Zelda paused right in the middle of the walkway and her gaze seemed a hundred years away. As she clenched her fist, Link realised it was.

"There is... something else you should see before we leave the castle," Link said carefully. "I dont know if you knew your father... had a small private study off the library." By the look on Zelda's face, it was clear to Link she hadn't. "There are... things there you might want to collect as well."

***

While Zelda had cried bitterly over her father's diary, she did look marginally better as they walked back out of the castle at dusk, the fire in her eyes having hardened into a steely resolve. While Link got a fire going and prepared their dinner, the princess sat in silence. Neither spoke while they ate, and it was only when Link took the empty bowl from the princess that they broke the silence.

"Thank you for coming here with me, today. With you beside me, it was less awful than I thought it would be," she said.

"I am glad if I was of use, but I think it's your own strength and courage that saw you through this and your other trials," Link answered.

"I don't feel so strong and brave," Zelda said, looking down. 

"You are." Link said. "More than anyone else I know."

"All this destruction... It makes me feel small and weak," Zelda said, her eyes filling with tears again. 

Link reacted on instinct, and pulled her into a tight hug. "We will build it all again," he said, voice full of emotion. "We will build roads and bridges and a new castle. We will open trade and schools and a postal service. The most important thing is that you are still here to do it, and there are people all over Hyrule who held on, who believed in you and want nothing more than to have you back. I know, I spoke to them."

They say like that for a long time. Link felt her tears wet the shoulder of his tunic, and he held on tighter. Finally, Zelda moved out of the embrace. "I don't know what I would do without you," she said. 

"Unless you order me to leave, you won't have to find out," Link replied without hesitation. 

The shadow of the pain and grief was still in her eyes, but her smile was as bright as the sun. Link had to work to get air in his lungs. 

Oh, he just _loved_ to make life hard for himself.


	11. Chapter 11

Zelda opened her eyes to find the sun already fully above the horizon. Apparently Link had let her sleep in a little, this morning. The day before had been painful and heartbreaking, but Zelda woke up feeling... almost hopeful. Today, they would start working to make the future better.

She sat up and looked around, finding Link sitting cross-legged on the ground  just a few paces away, eyes closed and in a stance Zelda immediately recognised. Sheikah meditation.

"Link! I am so sorry, I didn't stop to think last night, this was your third night awake! I was horribly distracted!" Zelda said. "We should have camped with the Sheikah to allow you to rest!"

Link's eyes slowly blinked open. "Good morning," he said, smiling slightly. "And don't worry, I've had worse. I could take a couple more nights easily. And besides," his smile turned into a smirk. "Now I have the perfect excuse for a very large breakfast."

Zelda shook her head fondly. It was always _her_ Link, even after a century. Exactly the same. Well, no, not exactly the same. _This_ Link could surprise her with a comment on her appearence that the old Link would have found totally inappropriate, or tell her something personal out of the blue that a century before would have been unimaginable. Not to mention _his face_. Still as handsome, still as sardonic when he wanted to be, but sometimes so... transparent. There were times now, especially when Link thought no one was watching, that his face became an open book, which spoke of pain, weariness, exhaustion, but also contentment, amusement, joy. It was disconcerting, but somehow made his features even more handsome than before, and Zelda though that was quite an accomplishment.

As they sat down to breakfast, they discussed the road ahead. 

"If you are still set on going to Zora's Domain first," Link said, "the fastest way is to go south-east through the Mabe Prairie to the Rebonae bridge, then take the way of the islands across he Lanayru wetlands to the Tabahl Woods. We will have to get our feet wet and there really is no path until we reach the woods, but we should be all right."

Link looked thoughtful for a moment. "I haven't been through the islands in a while, though, I'm not sure of the monster situation," he said. "An alternative route is to turn north once we leave castle town by the east door and keep west and north of the Hylia river as it bends and follow the road all the way to the Inogo bridge. Once upon a time you would have liked this option better," he added with a smile, "it's a lot longer. But we would stay on the road all the way."

"We must stop at an inn or something like that tonight," Zelda reminded him. "I refuse to force you to stay awake so long when there are perfectly reasonable alternatives. And I won't even try to convince you to sleep if we are out in the wild, I know you too well to waste my time."

Link shrugged. "I can sleep in Zora's Domain, one or two more nights won't kill me."

"No, I don't care about the lost time," Zelda answered immediately. "I am not going to risk your wellbeing just to save half a day."

"There are no inns as such anymore, not enough travellers for those, but there are stables which also rent out beds. If we take the way of the islands, the only stable along the way is just a few hours away, along the river. We would waste almost a full day," Link said, raising his eyebrows.

"What about the other route?" Zelda asked. "You said you feared there might be monsters on the islands."

"I said I didn't know. The only stable along the other route is near the Pico Pond, almost a full day away."

Zelda smiled. "Ok, then, you were right. I like the longer option better, and besides, I don't like getting my feet wet."

Link smiled and shook his head. "We will never make it back in two months like we told Impa we would."

"Well, don't let me sleep in tomorrow, to start," Zelda retorted.

Link answered with such a soft voice that she almost missed it. "After yesterday, you deserved a break." 

***

The weather had turned overcast soon after they set off. It seemed they were not going to keep dry anyway. The walk was still pleasant and peaceful, and sometimes a long time passed before either of them said a word. Zelda was feeling stronger, so they didn't need frequent breaks anymore, even though Link kept asking her if she wanted to rest.

Zelda was able to let her mind wander as they walked, and finally think about her feelings for Link. She didn't even know where to start. Could he return her feelings? Had he ever thought about her like _that_? A woman, not just his princess? Zelda didn't think he would have let himself think about her as a woman one hundred years ago, with their relationship being always complicated by the royal protocol. But now? Maybe?

Maybe it was having gone through arguably the end of the world, maybe it was the fact that she was, in fact, still 17, but Zelda could not imagine holding Link, _kissing Link_ , could not imagine loving Link... without jumping to imagining their future together. She couldn't imagine a future where she wouldn't want him, or where she could want someone else. Where did that lead her thoughts?

To imagine Link as her king.

Zelda had a duty to Hyrule, _to Hylia_ , to become queen and bear daughters, to continue the line of the goddess. Which meant she would _have_ to marry and have children. And in her imagination, those children were Link's. 

Was that childish? But Zelda knew this was not a crush. She might not have much experience with love or with her own feelings, but her power awakening to try to save Link ( _too little, too late,_ her mind kept chastising her) assured her of that much.

And why not? One hundred years ago, this... this _love_ would have been frowned upon, when the nobility of Hyrule was whole, when the relationships with neighbouring countries had to be taken onto account, when _status_ actually mattered, when her father would have told her who to marry, but now? First of all, Hyrule was in ruins. Status and nobility didnt matter at all. And besides, what higher recommendation, what higher status existed than the Hero of Hyrule, the saviour of their land? Link's fame and achievements wouldn't even be shadowed by her, they would shadow her. As they deserved. 

"Do you want to stop for lunch?" Link's voice broke through her thoughts. She looked up, surprised to find herself on the road, along the river, with Link... 

"Are you all right?" Link asked, concern coloring his voice. "You have been exceptionally quiet for the last hour at least. And now... You look confused, as if you were not sure of where you are. Are you tired?"

Zelda _was_ confused, but not by their whereabouts. She mentally shook herself, then took Link's hand. "I'm fine, thank you. I am not tired or hungry yet, but I am ready to stop when you are. You tell me when," she said with a smile.

Link looked for a second at their entwined hands, then into her eyes, as if searching for something. "We might want to stop for lunch before it rains," he said slowly, "There is no shelter around here. But we better walk to the other side of this hill, we will at least be out of the wind." 

The wind was indeed picking up. The sky was grey, the temperature dropping. "In a couple of hours at most, I am afraid the rain will overtake us and keep us company until we reach the stable," Link continued.

"Lead the way," Zelda said, not letting go of his hand. 

They started walking again, and Zelda's mind picked up where she had been interrupted, lulled by the feel of Link's warm, calloused hand in her own.

One hundred years ago, she was sure Link would have suppressed his feelings for her, even if he'd had any. His sense of duty, of propriety, his awareness of the differences in station would have never allowed him to show anything, ever. But now? Would he... allow himself to feel something for her? _Did he_ have feelings for her?

More importantly, what could she do to find out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this was odd. This chapter decided it was finished. I wasn't ready to end it, but I couldn't get the last sentence to work any other way, so I had to end the chapter here.  
> And ok, the itinerary is weird, but meh. Worked for story purposes.


	12. Chapter 12

They chose a spot to rest for lunch, but for the sake of speed decided against having a fire. They sat close together, their back to a boulder to seek shelter form the wind, sharing a cold lunch of mushroom and rice balls. Link was worried about Zelda, she said she felt so much stronger and he feared she might be straining herself more than she ought. He studied her carefully as they ate. She did look better, the dark circles gone from under her eyes, her skin rosy and glowing. But she had been so silent for most of the morning, and Link feared this was due to fatigue. She used to be so chatty while they walked, one hundred years ago, rambling on about the road, their destination, the weather, the flowers they saw, the insects that flew around them...

A lock of her golden hair had come out of her topknot and was falling down the side of her face. Without thinking, Link reached out and tucked it behind her ear, his hand lingering for an instant on her soft skin. Zelda looked up, surprised for just a second, then she smiled.

Link dropped his hand, embrassed. He had been so deep in thought he had forgotten himself.

"Are you warm enough?" he asked, trying to cover the akwardness he felt.

"Yes, thank you," Zelda answered, her voice soft.

They didn't talk again until their food was gone and Zelda was getting up, dusting off as if ready to go.

"If the rain will start soon as you say, we better get moving, the sooner we get to the stable, the better," she said brightly.

Link gave a small nod and picked up his pack. As they turned towards the road, their hands met and clasped again, as if this was their new normal. Link really wouldn't have been able to say who had reached out first, but was far too distracted by the feel of her hand in his to really think about it. He tried to focus on the road and their surroundings, assessing for possible threats and dangers, as he should. It wasn't easy.

As he struggled to keep his attention on the road, stray thoughts were going around the back of his mind. Today something felt... different between him and Zelda, but if he was honest, things had been changing ever since he had rescued her from the castle. Or did this... thing go back even further? He was quite sure he had all his memories of her back,   
but sometimes he wondered if he was still missing something. Every day still brought back things he had not remembered yet, after all.

Rain started falling, and Link let go of Zelda's hand to go through his pack. He pulled out his Hylian hood and draped it across her shoulders, lifting the hood to cover her head. Zelda opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by distant thunder.

"Oh, my," she said, "do we have to worry about lightning?"

"No, it's still very far away and might not come close at all," Link answered, "But if you are worried I have something that might help."

He went through his pack again and pulled out a pair of topaz earrings.

"I got these in Gerudo Town. There is an artisan there who makes jewelry that is not only beautiful, but also useful. These will offer protection from lightning," he said, as he handed them to her. She studied them carefully, then put them on. The sparkling stones of the earrings caught the light, emphasizing the gold in her hair.

"You should keep them, anyway. They look a lot better on you than they do on me," Link said, before he could help himself.

Oh, he _so_ had to just keep his mouth shut today.

Zelda smiled, and reached for his hand again. "Thank you, then, I think I will. I rather like them," she said, playfully.

They didn't talk for a long time, after that, walking in the rain with their fingers entwined.

***

They made it to the stable shortly after sunset, before the sky was fully dark. The rain was still falling and their clothes were soaked through. They booked beds and asked for hot water to wash. Zelda went first, coming back shortly afterwards in dry green Sheikah robes that matched her eyes exactly, her golden hair tumbling down her shoulders. She was still wearing the topaz earrings, which glittered like her eyes in the torchlight. She was so beautiful that Link had to swallow against a lump in his throat, then made his escape for his turn to wash and change.

When he came back, wearing a dry short-sleeved linen undershirt, he found Zelda sitting on the bed studying the Sheikah slate. He sat on the bed next to her.

"You are going to have to explain these new runes on here, I can't quite make out..." she looked up then gasped.

"Link!" she said, as her eyes widened. "Your arms!"

Link looked down at himself and took a moment to realise what she was talking about. The light from the lamps was falling on them at an odd angle, putting a number of scars on his arms in sharp relief and making them stand out much more than usual. He was so used to them he didn't see them anymore. Besides, his arms did not carry the worst of his scars, and Zelda had seen his skin before. He suddenly remembered he used to keep his scars covered in court, one hundred years back, for this very reason. Torchlight always made them look worse.

"I'm sorry, I can cover them up," he said, as he stood to move towards his pack.

"No, I'm sorry," she said as she took his arm to stop him. "Please don't. There is nothing that needs hiding, I am sorry if I gave you that impression. It's just that... every scar was a wound, and..." her voice faded to silence.

Link looked at his arms, thoughtful. "When I woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection I already had some of these, and I thought nothing of them, not even of the ones on my abdomen, until Robbie asked to see them to confirm my identity. He said he remembered my wounds from the fight on the Ash Swamp and they were bound to have left scars." He shook his head. "Now _that_ was a weird day."

Zelda had gone very still and silent, and he turned to look at her. Her face was aghast, her eyes filling up with tears. "Zelda!" Link said quickly, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." he didn't know how to go on.

"I.. Link, I... am so sorry..." Zelda stuttered through her tears.

"Don't be," Link said, putting his arms around her and crushing her to his chest. "I am sorry for bringing this up. I didn't think..."

But he didn't know what to say, so he just held her as she cried, sobs shaking her shoulders. Her pain hurt far worse than all the wounds he had received, and to know that she was crying for _his_ pain made it even worse. But he had no words to explain this to her, so he just hugged her tighter.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice trembling and tearful. "You shouldn't have to comfort _me_ for the pain that _you_ had to endure."

His only reply was to shift in bed so both of them were more comfortable, laying down and taking her with him. He didn't let go of her, stroking her hair gently, and slowly her tears stopped and she relaxed against his chest.

"Link," she said, her voice weak. "I am so sorry for all of this, for the pain, the memory loss, everything you had to suffer..."

He gently put his fingers under her chin and lifted so that she was looking at him. _Goddess_ , but her eyes were so green.

"No more tears," he said gently. "There is nothing to cry about, nothing I regret. I would do it all again, right now, endure the pain all again this instant, if it meant it would save you. And not for duty, or honor, or for Hyrule, but because you are worth every second of it."

Zelda gave a small gasp, but didn't move for a long moment, looking into his eyes as if searching his soul. It certainly felt like that to Link.

She finally put her head back on his chest and hugged him tight in silence.

After what seemed like a long time, or maybe just a few heartbeats later, Link spoke again. "Do you want to go looking for some dinner?" he asked her.

"I don't know," she answered, her voice muffled as she spoke against his chest. "If I move, will you hold me like this again later?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was SO much fun to write... I noticed too late Zelda had seen Link shirtless on two occasions in previous chapters after finishing writing this chapter, but I liked it too much to change it, so I tried to find an explanation of why Zelda would notice Link's scars only now. I hope it works.
> 
> I'm not sure how long it will take them to get on with it, I'm thinking this fic will have a couple more chapters...


	13. Chapter 13

Zelda opened her eyes, and for the first time since getting her body back, was not confused as to where she was. She was in Link's arms, her head resting on his chest and her arms tucked on either side of his ribcage. _Goddess_ , but what a wonderful place to wake up.

The evening before they had eventually gotten up and had dinner with the landlord Kish and with a trader strangely obsessed with beetles. Nobody had really asked anything about her, and she hadn't volounteered any information, even though it was obvious they all knew Link and they were very surprised to see him travelling with someone, let alone a woman. They had eyed her strangely but had accepted her presence without comment. Someone had commented on the disappearence of the Calamity from the castle, but Link and Zelda had said nothing and the subject had been dropped.

When it was time to go back to bed, Link and Zelda had simply, without any discussion, both climbed into the bed they had briefly shared earlier, and after Link had drawn the curtains around them, had resumed the position they had assumed before dinner, arms around each other. Zelda had fallen asleep as soon as she had managed to calm her pounding heart, lulled by the sound of Link's heart and deep, slow breathing.

She now slowly lifted her head to look at him, to find him awake, looking at her with a soft, almost dreamy look on his face. There was something in his eyes that made Zelda's breath catch in her throat. An intensity, a promise. He looked wide awake, though. 

"Good morning," Zelda said, rather breathlessly. "Have you been awake for long?" 

Link hesitated in a way that made Zelda suspect he hadn't slept at all. "A few minutes," he finally answered, I didn't want to wake you."

"You should have, isn't it light outside already?" Zelda asked.

Link shook his head. "It is, but there is a storm raging." As if on cue, a peal of thunder cut him off. Zelda became aware of the noise of heavy rain falling on the roof. How had she slept through it all? "It has been going on all night. It should clear up in an hour or two at most, so I thought we might as well take it easy."

Zelda smiled. "So much for chastising me for picking the longer way," she teased. "My, but what a waste of money it was, to pay for two beds. We better save our money, next time," she teased again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Link's cheeks turn a lovely shade of pink. 

Zelda stood and stretched, pulling her fingers through her hair to untangle it. She realised she was still wearing the topaz earrings Link had given her the day before. Even though they weren't small, they hadn't bothered her while she slept, so she was set on never taking them off again. She loved them, but more than that she loved that Link had given them to her.

The storm was still raging by the time they were ready to go, so they wasted a little time chatting. Everyone seemed to know Link, and had something to tell him or thank him for. He took time to talk to everyone and had a kind word for each. Zelda enjoyed seeing him interact with people, the way Link seemed to be respected and valued by everyone there. Everything she saw just enforced her hope and conviction that he would be accepted as king by the people, if it ever came to that. She dearly hoped it would. The day (and night) before had given her hope.

As the rain was finally letting up, about an hour later, a blond man walked in, looking grumpy and irritated. He greeted Link and immediately launched in very one-sided conversation.

"Would you believe, as soon as I understood the Calamity was gone I went to the castle to finally see about hidden treasure, and found guards there!" he said. "They said the princess is back and the castle is under their protection as the reconstruction of Hyrule begins. But I saw no princess anywhere!"

"How can you talk like that, it's a wonderful thing!" Kish interjected, "no malice, no more danger, safety and government again! I, personally, can't wait to see the princess take the throne." He glanced at Zelda out of the corner of his eye as he spoke the last few words, as if he had his suspicions about her identity. "I was waiting to see if Link had anything to say about the end of the Calamity," Kish continued, "but he hasn't said a word." He turned towards Link, who was studiously avoiding looking at Kish by pretending to go through his pack. 

They set off shortly after that, following the Hylia river east and south. The sky was still mostly grey, but bursts of blue were visible here and there behind the clouds. The sun was not as high in the sky as Zelda had feared, they still had many hours on the road ahead of them.

"I am not criticising your choice, but I am curious," Link suddenly said. "Why did you not tell them who you are?"

Zelda was silent for a few seconds. "I wish I could be sure of my own motives. I have a bunch of excellent explanations, after all. First of all, that would have been an akward conversation. 'I am you princess, all hail me and bow!' Secondly, I think it's better if news gets around by itself that pig-shaped muck-face is locked away again, and that people see for themselves that the danger is gone. Also, rather than just speaking up and telling people they all will have a ruler again, I wish for everyone to see what good would come of having a government. Let them feel safety, let them see royal representatives come to dig wells, kill monsters, repair bridges, help people and ask for volunteers to take up the army, or road building, or teaching as a paid profession. These people have never had a ruler, they were born in a land left to itself. I want them to feel the good a government can do, before imposing one on them."

Zelda sighed. "But I am also scared I am ill-equipped dealing with being royalty on my own. I don't know how to do it. Suddenly all I have been taught about holding court seems out of place in a Hyrule in ruins."

"You are not alone," Link said gently, and Zelda looked up at him. "I will be with you every step of the way, if you want. And Impa, and the Sheikah. And I also think you will find, if you give them the chance, that there are many Hylians who want nothing more than to see you, thank you for saving us all. Don't forget, they all know the legend, they _know_ it was their princess, in there, holding the Calamity at bay. And they know it _must_ be their princess who sealed him away."

Zelda's mind raced through a million things she wanted to say. That she would have liked to have him beside her as more than her knight or counsellor, that she didn't feel like a legend, that she only did what she had to and didn't feel she had to be thanked. But mostly she didn't like it when he left his own achievements out of the picture. 

"Well, the legend tells of the princess _and_ the hero. I think many people have started to figure out who that was, like Kish back at the stable," Zelda said.

"Fair enough. Then let's just keep travelling together and we will eventually be hailed by all." Link countered dryly.

Zelda had to laugh. "Fine by me."

They made it to the Inogo Bridge not long before sunset, and decided to stop for the night before entering the forest. Even though the day had not been strenuous, Zelda was feeling tired and went to sleep soon after eating. The view of Link settling in his usual position with his back to the fire was so comforting that Zelda fell asleep within minutes.

***

Zelda knew this place, knew this day. She didn't think the sky had ever been quite that color before, and hoped it would never be again. The rain, the mud, her clothes, the guardians, some broken and unmoving, other relentlessly looking for them.

Link. Link fighting, his sword flashing in the dark air. Quick, agile, deadly. But still hopelessly outnumbered. Getting hit,  again and again, and everytime getting up again, more blood, more pain in his eyes, movements slower and stiffer. Until he could hardly stand. But still he rose.

Her golden power, only it wasn't pleasent,  it tasted of desperation. Pure desperation. 

And the worst moment of her life, again. Link, unconscious in her arms, his blood flowing through her fingers, his heartbeat fainter and weaker every second, his sword rusty and notched. _Dying in her arms_ , because she hadn't found her power in time.

She could smell the burning guardians, the wet earth, the rotting smell of malice in the air, but above everything his blood, and the taste of her tears.

She sat up gasping, and couldn't help the wailing and sobbing that took her over. The images from the nightmare overlapped with the memories, she was _there_ , it was happening. Her grief crushed her, blinded her, she couldn't hear or see anything except Link dying in her arms, his laboured breaths getting weaker and more far between, his face cold, his skin pale, his eyes closed, Link _so still_ as she cradled his head in her arms.

She became aware of a distant voice, so familiar, calling her urgently. 

"Zelda! Zelda, it was a nightmare, wake up, please!" 

She knew that voice. But she had held him as he died. 

"Zelda, look at me. Feel my hands on your arms. _It wasn't real._ Wake up, please!"

Link's voice. Calling her. Pleading. 

She opened her eyes. Link was there, his hands on her shoulders, a look of alarm on his face, his eyes full of worry but _so blue_. He was there, _alive_. The relief that washed through her was so intense that she didn't stop to think, to consider, to remember where they were and what had happened. She closed the distance between them and kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took longer than the others. Busy week.


	14. Chapter 14

When they broke apart, Link was stunned. Zelda had kissed him. And goddess help him, he had kissed her back, cradling her in his arms, relishing the feeling of her lips against his. She had been having a nightmare, not fully awake, trapped in what she was seeing, and he didn't know how to make her snap out of it, then she had opened her eyes, had focused on him and then...

_She had kissed him._

They sat frozen, looking into each other's eyes, Zelda still in Link's arms. Suddenly, she blushed violently and moved away.

"I'm sorry, Link, I... I dreamed of the Ash Swamp, I was... holding you as you died, again, it was... _awful_. It was exactly as I remembered it, the blood, the broken guardians... And then, you were right in front of me, and the relief just hit me so hard..."

Link's mind reeled. She was _sorry_? For having kissed him? For giving him a taste of what he hadn't even dared to imagine? His limbs felt wooden, but he had to move. He had to give her space. If she hadn't meant to do it, that meant he had... taken advantage of the situation. Taken advantage of her. The though made him sick. 

She spoke again. "I... I was reliving the worst moment of my life, losing you was the worst thing that I ever had to endure. I didn't mean to... Force myself on you like that. I'm sorry."

"Force yourself on me?" Link said before he could help himself, disbelief seeping into his voice. His mind felt clouded, like he couldn't think clearly. "I think you found me all too eager. I should be the one apologising."

They both fell silent. Link couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Then something sinked in, and she looked into Zelda's eyes again. Her voice had sounded so _pained_ , and there was still so much grief in her eyes. No amount of akwardness could keep him impassive in front of _that_. He slowly held out his arm again, careful to any sign that his physical closeness was not wanted.

"You are still... You don't look well," he said carefully.

"Link, I just saw you _die_ again, and it was my fault, and your blood was flowing on my hands." Her voice broke at the end and she looked down.

"I can't say it wasn't real, but it doesn't matter any more, and it wasn't your fault. It's in the past and I am here, now."  He gently cradled her face in his hand. "I can't imagine how difficult it must have been, to be left alone to deal with the sword and the Calamity, all the Champions gone."

Zelda looked up into Link's eyes, her voice rough. "That was nothing... nothing compared to how hard losing you was. Before the sword... spoke to me and told me you could be saved, I seriously thought I was going to stay there and hold you until I, too, died."

Link couldn't breathe again, let alone speak. The thought that she had...

"I should have realised, then, that I am in love with you."

She said it with a voice that was barely more than a whisper, but to him it was louder than a shout. His heart swelled in his chest, and he moved without even thinking. He kissed her again. 

Zelda's hands moved to clutch at his tunic, pulling him closer. He still had one hand on her face, and the other moved to the small of her back. Her mouth opened then, and as the kiss deepened, Link realised all his previous experiences were _nothing_ compared to how Zelda made him feel. The casual encounters, his "friends" in Gerudo Town, the rare nights spent seeking company and comfort from his long trials, nothing even came close to the feeling of Zelda in his arms, her lips on his, her taste on his tongue. 

They broke apart, Zelda out of breath and with a stunned and dreamy look on her face. Link was sure the look on his face mirrored hers exactly. He wished he could speak, wished he could tell her what she meant to him, how much he loved her, but he found he had no words, none at all, to describe how Zelda made him feel. His hand was still on her face, and he stroked her cheek with his thumb. 

"Please tell me if you want me to... stop. To move away," he whispered.

"Don't you dare," Zelda whispered, her hand moving to his wrist and holding his hand to her face. She sighed. "I had only dreamed of this."

He hadn't even _dared_ to dream of it. As much as he loved her, as devoted as he was to her, he had never even dared to imagine something like this. Caressing her face, after a passionate kiss. He sat there, looking at the dancing firelight reflected in her eyes, for a long time. Eventually, he realised it was still night, and he should be standing guard. 

"You should try to sleep some more," he said gently, "and I should make sure nothing finds us with our guard down." Even after speaking, he couldn't get himself to let go of her. 

"Do you really believe I could go back to sleep now?" Zelda asked, still rather breathlessly but with a laugh in her voice.

They sat there, unmoving for another long moment, but then a noise behind the trees to his left caught Link's attention, and the moment was broken. It was three stalizalfos, which Link had reduced to a pile of bones in no time. He went back to the fire to find Zelda sitting up, a worried look on her face.

"Are you all right?" she asked right away.

"It was only three stalfos, Princess," Link answered, raising an eyebrow. "I could have used a stick."

"Princess? Are you serious?" Zelda's voice sounded almost outraged. Link had to chuckle. 

"Please rest," he said, his voice soft as he kneeled next to her and gently tucked her blanket back in. "Tomorrow we have to hike up treacherous paths." 

The look she gave him was almost hurt. Link wanted nothing better that to take her into his arms again, but she did have to rest, and there was still the doubt at the back of his mind that he was taking advantage of the situation. Tomorrow they could... talk about it. He sincerely hoped there would be something to talk about in the morning light, and that this hadn't been just shock in the aftermath of her nigtmare. But he couldn't bear to see that hurt look on her face. He took her face in his hands, very slowly, and then gently brushed his lips to hers again, once, twice, three times. "Tomorrow. I promise I am not going anywhere, I will be right here when you wake up."

Her face softened, and she finally consented to try to sleep. As Link turned his back to her and the fire again to stand guard, he listened closely to her breathing. It took a long time for her to fall asleep again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me, this is rather short, but I can't imagine Link not being over-cautious.  
> Also, I head-canon Link is not... inexperienced. He was alone, without his memories, for a long time, and half of Gerudo town knew he was a voe. Also, many women in the game comment on his attractiveness. So yeah, he knows what he's doing.


	15. Chapter 15

Zelda opened her eyes, and immediately felt wide awake. _Link_. The events of the night before came crashing back and she sat up with a start.

The sun was not above the horizon yet, the sky just lighting up in the east. Link was sitting a few feet away, his eyes on her, in the stance of Sheikah meditation. He immediately rose.

"Good morning," he said, his eyes soft but... wary. He slowly moved to crouch next to her, his movements... almost tentative. Cautious. "How are you feeling? Did you rest? You were... quite unsettled after your nightmare."

Zelda suddenly felt unsure. Had she dreamed everything? But no. There was no way she could have dreamed what his kiss had felt like, the taste of him on her lips. She couldn't have imagined the touch of his hand on her face, his warm and calloused fingers stroking her cheek. But he was acting so... tense. He looked worried. Was it only akwardness? Oh goddess, did he wish it hadn't happened? All she wanted was for him to kiss her again, she wanted to kiss _him_ again.

Link was still talking. "You were in so much pain, I didn't know what to do."

Zelda couldn't help herself, she _had_ to take that opening. "You did find a way to help me feel better, though," she blurted. 

If Zelda had hoped Link would blush or chuckle at her comment, she was woefully mistaken. He seemed to turn pale, if anything, and stiffened. When he spoke again his voice sounded strained. "I apologise if I have behaved inappropriately."

"What? No!" Zelda answered immediately.  "You did nothing I didn't want you to. Nothing I don't want you to."

His shoulders relaxed a little then, and he seemed to let go of a breath he had been holding. He closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them Zelda could see the relief he felt. She couldn't interpret it, and didn't know how to ask. She suddenly realised how he had been sitting when she awoke.

"Link, are you all right? You were performing a relaxation routine when I woke, did you need sleep?" she asked.

Link exhaled with a sound like a soft laugh. "Not at all, quite the opposite. I felt restless, I needed to calm my nerves," he answered.

Finally, something clicked into place in Zelda's mind. "Link, did you think I would... regret kissing you in the morning? Blame you for it?" 

He didn't answer, but he didn't need to. She could see the answer plainly in his eyes, even as he turned his face to look down. But he still didn't move, so she had to ask. "Do... you regret our kiss?" 

He looked up again, eyes as intense as she had ever seen them, and his answer was little more than a whisper. "Never. How could I?" Zelda waited a few seconds,  but it seemed he wasn't going to say more.

 _Hylia help her_ , then she was going to have to do it. But she didn't know where to start, what to say, what to do. Right to the point, then, with dignity. She was a princess, after all.

"Link, I... don't want any akwardness to settle between us, so please tell me if my feelings for you make you uncomfortable. It is not how I wished to tell you, but since I said it last night in... quite an emotional state, you have the right to know." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I love you. I think I have been in love with you for a long time, long before the Calamity struck, even though I put a name to it only recently. As much as I wish for you to see me as a friend and equal, I know you still also see me as your sovereign, so I want to stress once again that you are under no obligation to me. I would never..."

She opened her eyes then, and was startled into silence by the look on Link's face. Even with all of Zelda's inexperience when it came to relationships, she could not mistake that look. It was more than friendship, it was more than devotion. It was definitely not the way a knight looks at his princess. He also looked closer to tears than Zelda had ever seen him. 

Neither moved for a long moment, but finally, _finally_ Link lifted his hand to caress her cheek, so gently she would have barely felt his touch, if it hadn't been for the electricity that seemed to flow through her starting at his fingertips. He drew breath, as if he wanted to say something, but no words came. After another long moment, he slowly, almost reverently lifted his other hand to cradle her face and kissed her.

The world stopped. Everything stopped. There was only this moment in time, nothing existed anymore except his gentle touch on her face, his lips on hers making every nerve ending in her body _explode_ with feeling, her heart pounding and her stomach fluttering warmly as if full of sizzlewing butterflies. 

_How?_ How was this even possible? It felt... different from the kisses they had shared the previous night, as intense as those had been for her. It was as if last night had been instinct while this was intent. When they broke apart, Zelda opened her eyes, not even aware of having closed them in the first place, to find Link's gaze has shifted to something warm and undefinable.

"Zelda," he whispered, his voice trembling, "I love you. So much."

She felt light-headed, her mind couldn't process what her heart and soul were feeling. 

He put his forehead against hers. "I wish I had the words to tell you how much," he said in the same tone.

She thought about everything he had done, everything he had endured, what she knew and what she could only guess of the trials he had faced. The pain, the memory loss, the loneliness, the fatigue, the strife, the fights, the wounds. Then she thought about how he had always taken care of her, protected her, helped her, supported her, whether she wanted him to or not. Of how, again and again, he had put his life on the line for her. She suddenly understood what he meant when he said he had done what he wanted, not only what he had to, and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

"You don't need to," she surprised herself saying. "I... think you have proven it several times over." She moved her hands to the side of his face and cradled it, mirroring his position, then kissed him again. It felt like she would never want to stop doing it. 

***

It wasn't easy, to move, have breakfast, clear up their camp and continue on their journey. If they kept this up, two months were going to turn into two years. Zelda felt like her heart was full and her head empty. Her stomach flipped whenever Link's eyes met her own as they walked, a secret little smile playing on his lips. They were holding hands, obviously, whenever the rough path allowed them to. There was no space in her mind for anything that wasn't _him_. His hair, gently stirring in the breeze, his eyes, their distinctive bright blue continuosly scanning their surroundings, his hand, fingers entwined with hers and palms separated by his gauntlet, his lips...

 _Oh_ , she didn't think she could meet the Zora that evening. She would never be able to concentrate enough to have the delicate and sensitive conversation that had to happen between her and Dorephan. She had chosen to come to Zora's Domain first because she felt she owed it to Dorephan, but what good could she do if she was so horribly distracted? But she had a duty, they had already been on the road for six days and they had accomplished nothing yet. 

Well, not _nothing_. She actually felt like she had taken a huge, important and essential step in her life by confessing her feelings to Link. She could never call that _nothing_. But it wasn't something useful for Hyrule, not yet, at least, not until she could figure out if he would want to be king beside her. 

Of course, her being the princess of Hyrule meant they would have to talk about the future of their relationship sooner rather than later, and Zelda knew he would never bring it up himself. If she knew him, he meant to take whatever she would give him and ask for nothing more. Did he realise she wished for him to be her king? Zelda didn't think so. Even after all his achievements, all his power and prowess, he remained humble to a fault. He didn't like to be in the spotlight, he had never wanted recognition for his deeds, even a hundred years back. Even just bringing up the subject was going to be a problem, let alone now, when her feelings still felt so _raw_.

He turned to look at her, then, and her breath caught and her train of thought was shattered just by looking into his eyes. 

No, she would never be able to speak to Dorephan that evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems I am enjoying this too much to end this story.


	16. Chapter 16

_Lizalfos._

The whole encampment full, each and every one of them with their nasty shock arrows. Link's blood boiled just to think of one of them even coming near Zelda, which meant he would have to leave her somewhere safe. He was painfully aware of what had happened last time he had stepped away from her to fight, but he knew there was no other way. He turned to her, while rummaging through his pack, and started whispering his instructions. 

"Lizalfos, with shock arrows. You already have the earrings, take this," he said as he shoved a pair of rubber boots and an elixir in her hand. "The combination of the three will make you completely shock proof. _Stay hidden._ The path here is covered enough that nothing should bother you."

"Link, but what about you?" Zelda asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Link smirked. "I have this." He pulled a large, strangely shaped helmet from his pack. Zelda's breath caught in recognition. 

"Is that..."

"Urbosa's Thunder Helm. I haven't had time to take it back to Riju yet," Link confirmed. "Whatever happens, don't move. I'll be back soon." He stared to move away, but then turned and came back. "When was the last time you had archery lessons?"

Zelda smiled nervously. "Definitely more than a century ago," she answered.

"Take these." He pushed into her hand the softest and lightest bow he had and a handful of ice arrows. "They will block whatever comes at you even if you barely graze them, and should be safe to use even in this enclosed space."

He suddenly put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her to him in a long kiss. "Stay safe", he whispered, then he ran up the path before she could answer.

He _hated_ to have to leave her there. He quickly reached the Lizalfos encampment and took out two sentries with arrows before he was spotted. He then pulled out a sword and started fighting the closest lizalfos, trying to keep it in the line of fire of the other ones. He kept glancing back to the bend in the path where Zelda was hidden, all too aware he was taking precious attention away from the fight, but he couldn't help himself, double and triple checking if any monster strayed down the path towards Zelda. 

Just as the fourth lizalfos went down under his strikes, Link turned his head a fraction to the left to check on the bend in the path again, and was sent flying by a fifth monster. It wouldn't have been too bad, except he landed exactly on his still healing cracked ribs from the fight with Ganon. Winded, he rolled over in the dust trying to catch his breath through the pain. 

Then he saw it. A lizalfos running down the path towards the bend in the path.

_No you don't._

He clenched his teeth and struggled to his knees, taking his bow and sending three exploding arrows, lightning quick, straight at the running monster. 

He felt the Lizalfos behind him before he even heard it, and dove to the left, taking a glancing blow to his side. His enforced tunic turned the worst of it, so he rolled over and came up standing facing the last monster, sword out again. Within seconds it was dead.

Link quickly made his way back to where Zelda was hiding, and found her crouched in the shadows, bow ready, arrow nocked. He exhaled in relief at finding her unhurt. She looked ready to defend herself, too, which made Link awfully proud of her. She had chosen the best position available, he noticed.

"Link!" She immediately rose and ran to him. "Are you all right?" She looked him over carefully. "There is blood on your side and your breath is laboured and shallow... did you crack your ribs again?" Link had to fight a smile at the outrage in her voice.

"I'm fine, really, it's just a scratch. I got a little winded because I fell on the healed over ribs, nothing more," Link reassured her with a smile.

"I'm not buying it," Zelda said immediately. "You have a long history of downplaying your wounds. Now take your tunic off." 

Link raised an eyebrow at her, a lopsided and playful smile on his lips. After a moment of silence, Zelda blushed a lovely shade of red. 

"That's not what I meant and you know it," she said immediately. "Now quit stalling and let me check you over."

The cut on Link's side really was just a scratch, while the barely healed bruises over the cracked ribs seemed to be darkening again. Link had never thought himself vain, but he thoroughly enjoyed Zelda's flustered look while she gently checked his ribs for new cracks.

He leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially in her ear. "If you want to know if they are cracked, I am afraid you are going to have to press a bit harder," he told her. She blushed spectacularly.

"Are you... all right?" Link asked. "This isn't the first time you have seen me shirtless." Link was about to suggest he could cover up again if he made her uncomfortable.

Zelda didn't look up. "True. But this is the first time I am imagining myself doing this." 

She put her palms against his chest, at the sternum, and slowly slid her hands up his pectorals and along his shoulders. Link closed his eyes and shivered, relishing her touch, as her warm hands softly traced back down to his ribs. She leaned forward and kissed him. Link put his hands on her waist and pulled her sharply to him, one hand moving into her hair and gently changing the angle of her head, deepening the kiss. Zelda's hands moved to his back, where they slowly snaked up the strong muscle there to caress his shoulder blades. When they broke apart, they were both out of breath.

"Careful," he said, his voice low and breathless. "I might get used to this."

"I sincerely hope so," Zelda answered with the same tone.

***

As they were packing up again and getting ready to move on, Link noticed Zelda looked nervous. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, and her teeth were worrying her bottom lip.

"Is something wrong? Are you all right?" Link asked.

Zelda shook her head without looking up. "I was just thinking about tonight. I don't know how I am going to face Dorephan and the rest of the Zora."

Link moved closer to her, placing a hand softly on her chin and pulling her face up to look into his eyes.

"You are going to do great, as always. You have grace, wisdom, tact and a victory for all of Hyrule under your belt." He brushed his lips softly against hers. "You can do anything."

Zelda clung to his shoulders and breathed him in, her face in his neck. "I don't feel ready. I have to pull myself together, give this my all. Not only is this Dorephan, who I owe a great deal of respect and gratitude, among other things, but this is the first time I will stand up and claim my title as the Princess of Hyrule. It's my duty to do the absolute best I can. But today I feel... distracted."

Link didn't know how to answer. He knew he was doing most of the distracting, but he also knew this new door they had opened could not be now easily closed, even if he had wanted to. Which he very much didn't. He knew this was borrowed time, this... love, this thing between them could not last long, she was the princess, Hylia's own line, she had duties that came before feelings. The only thing he could give her was a little more time.

"Zelda," he said softly, "if you had said at the meeting with the council that you needed some time to recover before you started on this journey, nobody would have objected or though any less of you. You _can_ take some time off if you need it."

Zelda held him even tighter. "I don't need time to recover, I need _you_."

Link had to work to calm his pounding heart and catch his breath before he could answer. "I am right here, and am going to be for as long as you need me to."

"Forever. I want you forever."

Link knew he would never be able to leave her. Even when she would have to marry someone else, someone who could be king. He suddenly realised he had dreaded that day for a long time, even before the Calamity. Yes, he had been in love with her even then, he now knew. He felt his heart break at the thought, and tried to keep the pain in his heart out of his voice when he answered her. 

"Then I will be here forever. I already said I would support you and help you in any way I can, whatever you need from me."

"Link," Zelda whispered, "I don't think you understand. I want and need you beside me forever. I want you to be king and rule Hyrule with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, next chapter will probably be the last.


	17. Chapter 17

In the silence that rang after her words, Link stood as if frozen. Zelda bit her lip and waited a long moment. Just when she lost hope of him speaking and she drew breath to speak again, he stirred.

"What?" 

Zelda almost smiled. Eloquent. "Link, there is no one else I can imagine beside me, ever. I love you, I trust you with my life, I trust your judgement and like how you think. I have seen how much you care, for Hyrule and it's people. You are compassionate and kind, well known all throughout the land... There is no one else I can see as king beside me. There is no one else who I would want to father my children and raise them with me."

"But..." he stammered weakly, "I am just a knight, low born. Even the education and training I have received was all functional to becoming a fighter, not a ruler."

"First of all, you are not 'just a knight'. You are the Hero of Hyrule, and that seems to me to be the highest rank in the land at the moment. Secondly, nobody cares about anyone's birth right now, there _is_ no royalty left. Thirdly, the education you received was functional to entering the Royal Guard, so much more full of tactics, leadership and politics than you may have realised, as your father made well sure of. I could see it in you already a century ago. Also, don't sell your own intelligence short. And lastly, I think your heart has already taught you everything you need to know that your deep knowledge of the land and the people haven't already. And for anything else, I am here and we will be together." Zelda paused to catch her breath before continuing. 

"The question," Zelda said slowly, "is not if you _can_ or _may_ become king, but if you _want_ to." It was her turn to put her hand on his cheek and turn his face to look into her eyes. "You have just finally laid down your long burden, and you would have to pick up another one, just as heavy. For life."

Zelda dropped her hand and closed her eyes. "I hate to have to ask this of you, but it is the price of my love in the long run. The price you would have to pay to be truly by my side for the rest of our lives."

The silence stretched on, but Zelda couldn't get herself to open her eyes. She didn't want to see which emotions were playing on Link's face. She would understand if he wanted to walk away from the crown. Maybe she should have told him that. Suddenly she felt his hands on her face, gentle, loving. 

"I had never dared to imagine there would be something I could possibly give in exchange for your love. I never even dared to imagine I could ever possibly steal one kiss, and now you are telling me you think there is actually enough in me to give to have you forever." His voice was oddly broken. "You are telling me that the deepest, darkest, most remote desire of my heart, so remote I didn't even allow myself to aknowledge it existed, is actually possible if I give something in exchange." He paused to take a deep breath. When he continued, his voice was a little steadier. 

"Zelda, there is _nothing_ I wouldn't do for you, nothing I wouldn't give if you just needed and asked. You are telling me I get your love in exchange for what I would have given, freely, anyway. I get to have a family with you. How could I possibly not want that?" 

Zelda's heart seemed to have moved to her throat. She couldn't talk, swallow, _breathe_.

He kissed her then, with a passion he hadn't used before. He had held back, always in control of himself, but now he was not holding back his feelings, his _love_. It was staggering, really. Seconds or hours or years later, Zelda couldn't tell, they broke apart. Link drew a shuddering breath and opened his eyes.

"I won't ask if you are sure because you don't need to decide now. You might need manouvering space," he said.  
It took Zelda a long moment to understand what he was talking about. When she worked it out she was outraged. "Do you think I would tell you something like that and then change my mind? Just take it back?"

Link breathed out a ghost of a laugh. "No, I think you might not have a choice when the time to decide comes. And I want you to know, if it came to that, that I would understand that your duty to Hyrule comes first." 

Zelda's only answer was to kiss him again, fiercely. Then she leaned back enough to look into his eyes. "My duty is to do the best I can for Hyrule, and to produce heirs to continue Hylia's line. I can think of _nothing better_ I could do for Hyrule than to make you it's king, and no way I could give more to my heirs than to let them be of your blood. Incidentally, you are also the best thing that _ever_ happened to me, and I simply refuse to believe anyone or anything would ever convince me to marry somebody else. Now, since as the princess it is my prerogative to propose and not await a proposal, will you marry me?"

Zelda had never seen the variety of emotions that ran across Link's face in the space of a few seconds. Finally, his eyes lit up with the purest _joy_ Zelda had ever seen on his face.

"Yes," he said simply.

***

Both Link and Zelda were far too emotionally charged to proceed straight to Zora's Domain as the plan had entailed. When Zelda had asked if they couldn't take a long way around, just a little bit, Link had chuckled.

"I am afraid we are a bit in a corridor here. I can think of no other way into Zora's Domain that doesn't include the paraglider or teleport by Sheikah slate, and we have no guarantee those would work with two people so it's too dangerous to try. We can go on straight to the Domain, go back to the Inogo Bridge... or just hide in the area." Link's eyes twinkled. "We are very near to a secluded little bank called Bank of Wishes. It's quite beautiful, and I only ever met one person there. But I doubt she will be there now."

"I like the sound of that," Zelda answered with a smile of her own. "We can take the rest of the day off and make our way to the Domain tomorrow."

So they did just that. They spent the afternoon sitting along the Zora river, their arms around each other, talking about everything and nothing. They talked about Link's adventures, about the fish in the river, about the future of Hyrule, about rebuilding, about their favourite foods, about their old friends. When the sun began to sink, they made their camp like they had so many times before, Link caring for the fire while Zelda played with the Sheikah slate. They made and ate a light dinner, and when the stars started to appear, they lay down on the blankets, looking up at the sky. 

Zelda knew this peace wouldn't last, she knew the next day she would have to really step up to her role as princess of Hyrule again. But she was grateful for what she had today. She finally felt whole,  happy, recovered. She couldn't change the past and she knew there was still a lot to grieve, but she was ready to move on.

She lifted herself up on one elbow and looked at Link. He had his eyes closed, his face was finally, _finally_ relaxed and content, so much so that he looked a lot younger than he normally did. He was humming softly.

"What is that you are humming?" Zelda asked, curious. 

Link opened his eyes and looked at her with a soft smile in his lips. "I actually don't know. I think I heard it from Kass, and I'm quite sure it was about you, but I honestly have no idea."

"Us. About us." Zelda answered, leaning over him. She kissed him then, with all the love and feeling she could manage.

They didn't talk much after that.

***

The sun was just above the horizon as they were ready to set off. In a few hours they would be in Zora's Domain and her real work would begin. Zelda was not nervous anymore.

Link had convinced her not to announce her intention to marry him right away in so many words, that it was better for everyone to ease into the idea, especially Dorephan. But she was definitely _not_ going to treat him like her appointed knight anymore. Let everyone read into her behaviour whatever they wanted.

Her choices were made, their path forward clear. They had a lifetime of work and obligations in front of them, but they were starting out as Link and Zelda, hand in hand.

She was not scared anymore. Actually, she couldn't wait for the future to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Endings are so difficult. I hope this works.


End file.
